Eurovision approves Israel entry

BBC ^ | Thursday, March 15, 2007

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Teapacks have been together for nearly 20 years

Israel's controversial entry for this year's Eurovision has been approved by organisers despite apparent references to Iran's nuclear programme.

Push The Button by the group Teapacks was deemed "generally appropriate", said Eurovision spokesman Kjell Ekholm.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ekholm said the song, which refers to "demonic" rulers and "he's gonna blow us up to... kingdom come" could be banned.

Teapacks deny the song is about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Contest supervisor Svante Stockselius said they do not comment on individual cases, "but a couple of songs caused some discussions".

Public vote

"Eurovision song contest has very detailed rules for the songs: they can have no explicit wording, no coarse language, nor any political propaganda," he added.

Teapacks said in a statement that they "were not a political group".

"It does not refer to countries, continents, names of people and may, just like any other text, be subjectively interpreted in many different ways and angles," the statement read.

The UK entry will be chosen by the public on Saturday from six possible acts.

This year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Finland on 12 May.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

A new pinglist, so if you're interested....

	pan-Europe pinglist.* This pinglist covers a broad range of topics relating to Europe: culture, current events, politics, science, history, arts, etc. Warning: This could be a high volume pinglist. Note: This pinglist covers--but not as much--Eastern Europe. There is already a moderate volume pinglist for that region. Ping if you see a pertinent thread.
*To get on or off this list, freepmail with the subjects Europe on or Europe off . No message is necessary. To get on or get off this pinglist, freepmail here, with the appropriate subject.
There is also a: pan-Africa pinglist. pan-Asia pinglist. pan-Latin America pinglist. John 3:16 (New King James Version): "16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
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[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Iran calling for the destruction of Israel ping?

[Leifur]

I will absolutely vote for this song, although it is not the best I have heard. Politics? Well, if condemic terrorist attacks is politics then that rule should be scrapped...

Here is the song:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f_h_rLKTLvs

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Appreciated.

[Eepsy]

LOL! As if anyone ever voted for a Eurovision song cause it was the best they'd heard...

[Leifur]

hehe, of course you are right, the least bad of those contesting I should have said. Of course our own songs are often the best, but strangely nobody else notices ;)

Of course it is also a lot about politics or so to speak, we here in Iceland f.e. nearly allways give our former colonial masters and "uncles" in Denmark 12 points, or if not them some of the other nordic countries. But that is also because of similar tastes.

I am going to make a wild guess here, Iceland is going to get 12 points from Norway this year, and maybe a lot of votes from the other nordic countries (that has not allways been the case).

But I like this song, the Israel song, specially the part I understand, less so the hard rock part. I admit I have often voted for them, but not when so-called Dana International was their contestant.

And here is the current Icelandic song.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qy4ZUQ655lE

The eurovision song contest will be held the same night as our elections, how inconsiderate of them ;) Still some people say that we are better off in Euroland (the EU) but imagine how considerate Brussel´s will be then to the needs of a tiny 300 thousand man nation. We would come a tax colony again.

We would at least start to understand better your state-rights agenda, that is for sure.