Song of terror picked by Israel for Eurovision

It was a choice that perhaps owed more to the public mood than to any cute lyrical hook or novel musical riff. Asked to pick a song for this year’s Eurovision song contest, Israelis paid little heed to the eternal Eurovision themes of peace, love and harmony and settled instead for a number called Push the Button about the threat of terrorism and Armageddon. The track, sung by the Teapacks in English, French and Hebrew, is a confident amalgam of eastern sounds, rock and rap. It was chosen this week as Israel’s preferred song in a phone-in television show and the band will go forward to the Eurovision semi-finals in Helsinki in May.“It has the right vibe and it’s multicultural, “said Kobi Oz, the group’s leader.

“The world is full of terror, if someone makes an error, he’s gonna blow us up to kingdom come,” Oz sings. “There are some crazy rulers, they hide and try to fool us, with demonic, technological willingness to harm. They’re gonna push the button, push the button.”

The band was formed in 1988 in Sderot, a small Israeli town close to the border with the Gaza Strip. As the nearest town, it has been the frequent target of rockets launched by Palestinian militants.

The Teapacks hope to follow in the footsteps of Israel’s 1998 Eurovision winner, the transsexual Dana International.