Israel's Eurovision Entry is a Song About Nuclear Doom

Outside the U.S., it's not American Idol that draws the huge audiences to vote on singers, it's the annual Eurovision song contest. Songs entered and groups singing them reflect national pride, and it's kind of an Olympic event for entertainment, with 42 countries participating. This year's contest begins in Helsinki, Finland, on May 10^th.

According to the BBC, the Israeli entry this year is a song, "Push the Button," which reflects growing Israeli sentiment that Iran's nuclear efforts threaten the very existence of their country. Lyrics such as "And I don't wanna die, I wanna see the flowers bloom, don't wanna go kaput-kaboom", by the group Teapack, will be broadcast all over Europe and other countries, on a program that is watched by millions, who vote by telephone and text message (known as SMS in Europe), to determine the winners. This year's contest will be the 52^nd, according to the Eurovision website.

The contest began in 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland. According to an article on wikipedia.org, it was the creation of the European Broadcasting Union, designed to bring a war-torn Europe into contact with each other. While it is historically known for somewhat "formulaic" pop music, many other genres have been performed over the years. Media throughout the participating countries build enthusiasm for the contest, featuring specials and discussing the participants, the stories, and the history of each country in the contest. The current host, Finland, has participated for forty years, finally winning last year for the first time, according to the 2007 Eurovision website.

As one of the few "household names" known throughout Europe, the program has been broadcast every year since its inception, making it one of the longest running television programs ever. Israel first participated in 1973, hosting in 1979 and 1999. Although not located in Europe, it is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, and thus eligible to participate. It has had pop entries, political entries singing songs of reconciliation and peace, and several first-place wins.