Although the Eurovision entry voted on late on Tuesday does not mention any names, there is no doubt it is about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly called for the Jewish state to be wiped off the face of the map.

"There are some crazy rulers, they hide and try to fool us

With demonic, technologic willingness to harm

They're gonna push the button"

The performing band, TeaPacks, was chosen to represent Israel at the European song contest to be held in Finland in May, and on Tuesday night the public was asked to name one of four of the group's songs.

The mix of ethnic Mediterranean music and rock, coupled with lyrics in English, French and Hebrew, won the overwhelming support of the public in a telephone vote.

"The idea is to do something that crosses the accepted norms," flamboyant frontman Kobi Oz told reporters. "True art stirs controversy."

Israel considers Iran's controversial nuclear programme, which the Jewish state claims is aimed at obtaining an atomic bomb despite Iran's denials, as a threat to its existence.

Israel is itself widely regarded as the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East although it has never confirmed or denied it has a nuclear arsenal.

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