IBA have this evening refused to confirm that one of the three finalists in this year's Pop Idol show, Kohav Nolad, will be announced as the next representative at the Eurovision Song Contest this week. Discussions between the national broadcaster, IBA and Kohav Nolad production company, Tedy Productions are at an advanced stage, no decision about representation has yet been made.

In a statement today, IBA claim that the decision about whether to coperate with Tedy Productions, will be taken at a meeting tomorrow (August 23rd) and if an agreement is reached, it will be a long process to formalise it, with a complex co-operation agreement to be negotiated. If an agreement is reached, it would not necessarily be with one of the three finalists.

The most likely choice from the competitors according to several voices in the Israeli music industry was Chen Aharoni, but he was knocked out of the show this weekend, after losing to Shlomi Barel in a sing-off televote for the 3rd and last place in next Wednesday's final.

It seems that Chen is popular amongst committee members within IBA and with the Kohav Nolad producers for the ticket to Belgrade should the show be asked to provide IBA with an entry. Chen is currently 17 years old and is said to have the most likely look and style to take Israel to the Eurovision Song Contest final in Serbia.

If no agreement can be reached between the two parties, IBA will look to alternative options. The broadcaster is under serious financial restraints and will not have the funds to organise a national final for 2008. Other artists would be approached and a popular choice may be a former pop idol runner up, Harel Ska'at. He was one of the considered options for Israel's 2007 entry, before IBA settled on Teapacks.

Dana International has also issued a public call for IBA to invite her to represent the country, stating on record that she would jump at the chance to represent Israel for a second time.