Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., March 16, 2007 Adar 26, 5767 | | Israel Time: 13:50 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National Arts & Leisure Anglo File Sports Travel  
Magazine Week's End
Q&A
Business Underground Jewish World Real Estate Advertising  
Bookmark to del.icio.us
Teapacks (Archive)
Last update - 12:39 14/03/2007
Controversial Israeli song allowed into Eurovision contest
By Reuters

Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest will allow Israel's entry "Push the Button" by Teapacks into this year's competition despite some complaints about its lyrics, which allude to nuclear war.

The European Broadcasting Union, which arranges the annual event, said Wednesday that no songs had been barred or changed ahead of the finals, to be held in Helsinki in May.

"They have all been cleared. The songs were all according to the rules," the EBU's Svante Stockselius told a news conference.

Advertisement

He declined to comment on individual entries.

Host broadcaster YLE said earlier this month it had received many objections to "Push the Button."

The song is widely interpreted as a commentary on Iran's atomic program and statements by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel should be "wiped off the map."

"We are very happy and excited," Hagit Novick-Salomon, a spokeswoman for Teapacks, said in Israel, where the tune overwhelmingly won a Eurovision selection contest last month.

She said the band had been confident its song would be approved for its broad appeal. "We have been rehearsing as scheduled in anticipation, and look forward to the trip to Helsinki for the May 10 competition," Novick-Salomon said.

Contest organizers had previously termed the song as having an inappropriate political message.

"It's absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition," said Kjell Ekholm, an organizer of the contest. "We'll have all the delegation leaders here in Helsinki next week, and I'm sure we'll talk about this case within the EBU [European Broadcasting Union] group."

Israel won the 1998 Eurovision contest when Dana International wowed audiences with "Diva."

Bookmark to del.icio.us
Kaffiyeh-chic
Local culture has inspired a new generation of designers at Bezalel's fashion department.
Suicidal tendencies
Health Ministry data shows Ethiopian youths are more likely than others to commit suicide.
  1.   silly contest 12:16  |  music dieter 14/03/07
  2.   The song is only controversial to the ears of BBC personnel!!! 12:30  |  Liat 14/03/07
  3.   This Time............Nothing to do with politics 13:10  |  Ari ben Yisrael 14/03/07
  4.   Eurovision Is Need of Publicity At any price 13:12  |  Markus 14/03/07
  5.   They got it right! 13:22  |  Joseph 14/03/07
  6.   Zerovision 13:52  |  Carlos murphy 14/03/07
  7.   This had nothing to do with the BBC 13:53  |  Ben 14/03/07
  8.   Douze Points for Israel! 13:58  |  Yahp 14/03/07
  9.   Human Rights 14:30  |  From the Moon 14/03/07
  10.   oh my 14:49  |  Lital 14/03/07
  11.   Push the botton will push Israel to the bottom 14:49  |  Lasting peace 14/03/07
  12.   Hurray for Teapacks! 14:53  |  Clickfool 14/03/07
  13.   Like the catchy tune & lyrics, hope it gets more than nul points 14:53  |  matt 14/03/07
  14.   gog dog food for birds 15:00  |  alfred youngberg 14/03/07
  15.   re: Markus #4 15:01  |  Paulo 14/03/07
  16.   Welcome to Finland Teapacks! 15:25  |  Finn 14/03/07
  17.   push the botton & hit ahmadinejad`s bottom 15:38  |  ziggurat 14/03/07
  18.   To Paulo 15:49  |  Markus 14/03/07
  19.   Clickfool`s Broken Record 16:13  |  Tex 14/03/07
  20.   Israel is not European so whay are they in contest 16:15  |  pat 14/03/07
  21.   European Dhimmitude 16:17  |  Chick Corea 14/03/07
  22.   Paulo Is So Smart 16:18  |  I Love Paulo 14/03/07
  23.   #5, Joseph. Bashing with and without opportunity 16:20  |  zmogus 14/03/07
  24.   Best thing for band 16:35  |  W 14/03/07
  25.   Paulo 16:42  |  Itsik 14/03/07
  26.   #20 Paddy 16:44  |  Itsik 14/03/07
  27.   Good move 17:01  |  Mark Lincoln 14/03/07
  28.   Paulo 17:03  |  Ehud 14/03/07
  29.   Sour grapes from Pat in Cork 17:10  |  Rufus 14/03/07
  30.   Pat (why is Israel in the contest though they are not European?) 17:11  |  Ehud 14/03/07
  31.   #22, "ILovePaulo". Hysterical analysis versus "historical" one 17:16  |  zmogus 14/03/07
  32.   Its a great song 17:16  |  Nicole 14/03/07
  33.   I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL 17:18  |  Federico Glez 14/03/07
  34.   TO PAT IN IRELAND 17:20  |  Nicole 14/03/07
  35.   For Tex # 19 17:37  |  Clickfool 14/03/07
  36.   #15 Ah poor misguided European 17:51  |  Kate 14/03/07
  37.   #20 Pat 17:56  |  Labhras 14/03/07
  38.   EUROVISION 18:00  |  michel 14/03/07
  39.   #34 Nicole 18:02  |  Labhras 14/03/07
  40.   Of smoke, mirrors & fake Clickfools... 18:18  |  Rufus 14/03/07
  41.   Labhras `misunderstanding` of the situation 18:26  |  Rufus 14/03/07
  42.   #29 Rufus 18:33  |  Labhras 14/03/07
  43.   #38 Michael 18:38  |  Labhras 14/03/07
  44.   Labhras on pals.... 18:41  |  Rufus 14/03/07
  45.   #21, Chick Corea. Hope you`ll have a hearty laughter too. 18:55  |  zmogus 14/03/07
  46.   There was never any problem 19:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  47.   #20 Don`t bust their bubble; they like to think they are! 19:04  |  ballistic 14/03/07
  48.   #44 Rufus 19:09  |  Labhras 14/03/07
  49.   #41, Rufus on Clickfool. Comments? of course! 19:36  |  zmogus 14/03/07
  50.   For Rufus # 40 19:39  |  Clickfool 14/03/07
  51.   Hey Pat, did you know `Europa` was a Phoenician princess? 19:52  |  Jake 14/03/07
  52.   #46 Chris I`m not sure if Ehud Olmert knows for sure himself 19:56  |  Matt 14/03/07
  53.   EUROPE CREATED ISRAEL. SO, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? 20:24  |  JACKAL 14/03/07
  54.   Chris #46 20:56  |  FOX 14/03/07
  55.   re: I Love Paulo #22 21:15  |  Paulo 14/03/07
  56.   #52 Matt 21:31  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  57.   #54 Fox 21:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  58.   #54 Fox 21:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  59.   #20 to Pat and the "Eropean" title 22:03  |  hala 14/03/07
  60.   JACKAL #53 22:34  |  Veritas 14/03/07
  61.   Labhras - you must be joking 22:49  |  Tuemi 14/03/07
  62.   EUROvision 23:41  |  Faraz 14/03/07
  63.   Faraz 01:08  |  Tuemi 15/03/07
  64.   Israeli song allowed into Eurovision 01:24  |  Dennis 15/03/07
  65.   EUROVISION: NO JEWS ALLOWED 01:27  |  amir 15/03/07
  66.   The War has been relegated to our songs and... 01:39  |  Ronnie Wolman 15/03/07
  67.   What a shame. 02:37  |  Deborah 15/03/07
  68.   Eurovision 02:55  |  johnnymac 15/03/07
  69.   No 15 Paulo 03:19  |  Baruch Nili 15/03/07
  70.   15 Paulo 03:25  |  Baruch Nili 15/03/07
  71.   Pat from Ireland 04:30  |  Alain 15/03/07
  72.   #61 Teumi 04:54  |  Labhras 15/03/07
  73.   after last yrs winner we are so normal, clean that must be the pr 05:41  |  ralph 15/03/07
  74.   Controversial? 08:40  |  Frank 15/03/07
  75.   re: Baruch #70 09:40  |  Paulo 15/03/07
  76.   Watch it on BBC Prime 09:50  |  ShimonB 15/03/07
  77.   PUSH THE BOTTOM, ISRAEL 10:11  |  Futura 15/03/07
  78.   Labhras #72 18:21  |  Tuemi 15/03/07
  79.   Paulo 20:47  |  Baruch Nili 15/03/07
  80.   Eurovision Song Contest 13:03  |  Vicki 16/03/07
 Today Online
Bradley Burston: Does Palestine have the right to exist?
Responses: 47
As'ad Ghanem: Arabs are part of Israeli society too
Responses: 10
Lieberman: Zionist gov't coalition needed to counter PA
Responses: 45
Israel sees rapid U.S. exit from Iraq as dangerous to Jordan
Responses: 19
IDF conducts repeated takeover drills in Palestinian villages
Responses: 10
Rosner's Domain
* Israel's fear: withdrawal from Iraq will destabilize Jordan
* Will you leave Sen. Barack Obama alone already?
* No easy answers on Israel and the Iraq debate
* Was Olmert crossing a line when he talked about Iraq?