by Ezra HaLevi, (IsraelNN.com)
Israelis have chosen a song ridiculing Islamic terrorists as their representative entry for the Eurovision song contest – and the Eurovision organizers say they may ban the song and its “inappropriate political message.”
The song, called “Push the Button,†was composed by the popular Israeli rock group Teapacks (Tipex), whose members say that they are proud of using the international platform to convey an important message to the world on behalf of the Jewish state. In English, Hebrew and French, the artists humorously dismiss the global Jihad and murderous Iranian nuclear intentions in a fusion of rap, rock and folk music.
[The link has a further link to listen to the song. one in English and one in Hebrew.]
“There are some crazy rulers,†an English line in the song sung with a thick Israeli accent says, “they hide and try to fool us, with demonic, technological willingness to harm.â€
Teapacks members and their families experience the brunt of Islamic terrorism first-hand. The band was formed in 1988 in the Kassam rocket-pocked city of Sderot.
Lead singer Kobi Oz said that his group knew that the trilingual song crosses accepted norms, but is heartened by the fact that it was chosen by a majority of Israelis in the recent televised voting.
The Israeli choice is particularly significant as past entries have focused exclusively on universalist themes of peace and love. Israel has won the contest three times in the past.
Eurovision’s organizers have already begun to consider banning Teapacks from the competition. “It’s absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition,” contest organizer Kjell Ekholm said. “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.”
The runner up, which would take the first song’s place is it is disqualified is another Teapacks song called Salaam Salami. The song makes fun of the concept of land-for-peace using a tongue-in-cheek allegory of a man and his salami sandwich to represent the Jewish people and their homeland. The sandwich owner’s willingness to make peace on the basis of compromise with a fellow who wants his salami sandwich leads to the continuous slicing of the salami and ends with the other fellow throwing him out the window and taking the sandwich. Click here to listen to that song.
Barring a ban, Teapacks will perform the song at the Eurovision finals in Helsinki in May.
