'Chai' - Ofra Haza (1983)
Final placing: 2nd
In the end, good Eurovision songs, and most are not, are lightweight pop products meant to linger in your head after a single listen. “Chai” was more than that. Much more. When Ofra Haza took the stage at the 1983 contest in Munich and sang the words written by Ehud Manor and composed by Avi Toledano to millions of viewers around the world, it seemed that, at least in Israel, there was not a dry eye left. Just before Haza received the song, Manor had offered it to Yardena Arazi, her biggest rival on the charts — who chose to pass on it. Although “Chai” “only” finished second, it remains one of Israel’s greatest Eurovision victories. A few years later, Haza became a major star in Germany as well, marking another huge Israeli success story.
'HaSheket SheNish’ar'- Shiri Maimon (2005)
Final placing: 4th
There was a time when representing Israel at Eurovision was not the top prize on a reality show, but more of a consolation prize for the runner-up. And so, just two years after the historic first season finale of Kochav Nolad (“A Star Is Born”), Shiri Maimon conquered Israel’s Eurovision preselection, beating competitors including Svika Pick, Zehava Ben and Rinat Gabay. Then, in the decisive moment in Kyiv, it became clear Israeli audiences had not been wrong: “HaSheket SheNish’ar” is a perfect pop ballad — sweeping like a whirlpool and comforting like ice cream after a breakup. It obviously deserved better than fourth place (and was arguably stronger than the winner, Helena Paparizou’s “My Number One” for Greece), but to get that far after the Second Intifada, and with a song performed half in Hebrew? It felt almost unreal.
'Golden Boy' - Nadav Guedj (2015)
Final placing: 9th
Before Eurovision became one of Israel’s main cultural battlegrounds on the global stage, only a select few here actually watched the contest. At the start of the previous decade, with less memorable and less polished entries, Israel failed even to qualify for the final. But then something changed. Keshet’s HaKokhav HaBa (“Rising Star”) partnered with the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, newly separated from the old Channel 1 network, and Nadav Guedj’s “Golden Boy” broke the dry spell. When Doron Medalie first cracked the formula that would later bring him victory with “Toy,” he created an upbeat track with Mediterranean touches, glossy pop English and an unforgettable chorus. Guedj did not win, but after years of failures he returned Israel to the top 10 and paved the way for the turnaround that followed.
'Ole Ole' - Izhar Cohen (1985)
Final placing: 5th
Take Izhar Cohen, who won Eurovision with “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” add Kobi Oshrat, the composer behind “Hallelujah,” and you have a winning combination. Well, almost winning. On paper, “Ole Ole,” Israel’s entry for the 1985 contest in Gothenburg, Sweden, was supposed to bring home the country’s third Eurovision victory. Cohen’s journey began with a difficult Israeli preselection, where he managed to edge out “Kmo Tzohani” by the trio Kmo Tzohani and “Od Nagi’a” by Yardena Arazi. Although “Ole Ole” finished only fifth, it remains one of the happiest entries Israel has ever sent to the contest, thanks in large part to the booming timpani drums at the end of the verses and the infectious clapping in the chorus. There was also a bonus: this was where Adam, who would become one of Israel’s biggest late-1980s pop stars, was first discovered.
'Feker Libi' - Eden Alene (2020)
Did not compete
The coronavirus pandemic caused loss of life, economic collapse and lockdowns around the world, but it also claimed one forgotten casualty: “Feker Libi,” the song Israel was supposed to send to Eurovision 2020, performed by Eden Alene. The lyrics were written by Doron Medalie and Idan Raichel, with production by Yinon Yahel, and together they crafted a love song that blended four languages present in Israeli society: Hebrew, English, Arabic and Amharic. Alene effortlessly balanced sweetness and sensuality, and when she performed the song live during Israel’s Eurovision selection broadcast, it was clear this was her favorite. Everything changed when the pandemic led to the cancellation of the contest, and the following year Israel was required to submit a new song. That is how Israel lost a song many believed could place very highly, in favor of the far more generic “Set Me Free.” At least people learned that “Feker Libi” means “my beloved” in Amharic, and for a few moments it became socially acceptable for every Israeli to dance with shoulder moves.
'Natati La Chayai' - Kaveret (1974)
Final placing: 7th
Contest rules state that no more than six people may appear onstage. So what do you do when you want to send a seven-member band? The answer: have keyboardist Yoni Rechter “conduct” the orchestra instead. “Natati La Chayai” was only the second song Israel ever sent to Eurovision. Written in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War, Danny Sanderson’s lyrics included lines such as, “One says he’s running out of sky, when there’s enough air for one or two countries.” But because of Kaveret’s lighthearted image, it seemed no one noticed, or wanted to notice, what he was really saying. Although “Natati La Chayai” is one of the best songs Israel has ever sent to Eurovision, it never really stood a chance, especially when competing against ABBA’s “Waterloo.”
'Toy' - Netta Barzilai (2018)
Final placing: 1st
Some songs feel like a historic moment in the making from the very first listen, and “Toy” was exactly that. From the moment Netta Barzilai stepped onstage with her looper, chicken clucks, explosive energy and a performance unlike anything else in the competition, it was clear Israel had not come to Eurovision 2018 merely to participate, it had come to win. With a cheeky, addictive and brilliant song tailored perfectly to her by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger, Barzilai managed to turn everything once considered strange or excessive into a massive advantage. And at a time when it still seemed music could rise above everything else, the victory briefly felt like proof that charisma, originality and a huge song could silence even the noise of politics and bring Europe to Israel.
'Happy Birthday' - Eden (1999)
Final placing: 5th
After the flamboyant success of “Diva”, surprisingly absent from this list, it seemed that ahead of Eurovision 1999, hosted at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center, organizers wanted to find a universal denominator that would appeal equally to everyone around the world. We were all born, and almost all of us, apologies to people born on Feb. 29, celebrate a birthday once a year. Jackie Oved, Gabriel Butler, Yaakov Lamai and Moshe Datz wrote the song, which combined Hebrew and English lyrics and was performed by the group Eden at the height of the global boy-band craze. “Yom Huledet” eventually finished fifth, but honestly, it is nothing less than a winner’s song. Proof of that is the fact it has accompanied countless birthday celebrations ever since, even though many people do not realize it was originally a Eurovision entry.
'HaLayla' - Hakol Over Habibi (1981)
Final placing: 7th
Legend has it that Shlomit Aharon passed on “Hallelujah” after receiving an electric shock during the recording sessions. But the second time Hakol Over Habibi got the chance to represent Israel at Eurovision, Aharon had no intention of giving up. After two consecutive wins, Israel skipped the 1980 contest because it coincided with Memorial Day, and more than a few people in Israel dreamed of repeating the achievement. That may explain why the delegation reused the same gender format that had worked for “Hallelujah”, one female singer backed by three male performers. Aharon, then seven months pregnant, and the three men beside her, yes, including the one with the mustache, arrived in Dublin with an excellent song, written by Aharon and composed by Shuki Levy together with Yuval Dor. They delivered a strong performance but ultimately had to settle for seventh place.
'Kan' - Orna and Moshe Datz (1991)
Final placing: 3rd
In 1991, Datz and Datzah were an Israeli power couple at the start of their career, not yet household names as children’s entertainers, but already singers with two albums behind them and the backing of Uzi Hitman, who wrote and composed “Kan.” The duo swept through Israel’s Eurovision preselection and then captivated Europe, finishing third at Eurovision, just a tiny distance from first place. It is the perfect capsule of an Israeli Eurovision entry: pompous national pop, a catchy chorus built around one easy-to-remember word (“Kan,” “Chai”, what’s the difference?) and an unforgettable key change at the end. But “Kan” is not merely a great patriotic song because it expresses a longing to put down roots in the land. More importantly, it hints at the ability to open the door to our neighbors and greet them with “ahlan,” an Arabic word suggesting the possibility of peaceful coexistence in the region. And besides, another reason I love this song so much is that during the voting, the Datzes held signs reading “Todatz” and “Todatzah”, a pun combining “thank you” with their surname. How could anyone not fall in love with representatives like these?
'A-Ba-Ni-Bi' - Izhar Cohen (1978)
Final placing: 1st
Disco fever did not skip over our little homeland, and in 1978 the song written by Ehud Manor and composed by Nurit Hirsh finally received the stage it deserved. Instead of the children’s song festival for which it had originally been intended, it was decided to take it as far as possible — to the Israeli Song and Chorus Festival. From there, the road to Europe was short, bringing Israel both the trophy and the right to host the contest the following year. Not only has “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” remained an enduring classic to this day, but last year it even received a Thai-language cover version in the hit series The White Lotus, proving once again that love and music are universal languages everyone understands.
'Time' - Izabo (2012)
Did not qualify for the final
Broadly speaking, it remains a creative failure that no sharp satirical comedy has yet been written about the bizarre way an indie band from Tel Aviv ended up on the Eurovision stage. (Some jaws still have not recovered from the shock after the announcement by the Israel Broadcasting Authority.) And once it happened, no Eurovision doctorate was needed to understand it would not end in victory. But that was not Izabo’s fault, and certainly not the fault of “Time,” a joyful and uplifting song that captured in miniature everything beautiful about the meeting point between indie rock and Arabic music. The famous “douze points” were nowhere to be found, but time has only been kind to “Time.”
'Ze Rak Sport' - Dafna Dekel (1992)
Final placing: 6th
People say every trend reaches Israel late, which may explain why the most aggressively 1980s song imaginable became Israel’s Eurovision entry in 1992. The colorful jackets, drum machines, Dafna Dekel’s iconic curls and one repetitive but excellent chorus. The song was written by Ehud Manor as a wink to the Barcelona Olympics held that year, but in the version sent to Eurovision, the focus shifted to the joy of surrendering to the rhythm and giving up any ambitions of greatness or seriousness. What makes the song so refreshing is how completely it contradicts what Israel usually tries to achieve at Eurovision. In Israel, Eurovision is always heavy and serious, always transformed into a question about the fate of the Jewish people and how they will be perceived through Europe’s antisemitic gaze. Yet this very song, simple and lighthearted, reached a highly respectable sixth place. Dafna Dekel and Ehud Manor managed to remind Israelis that Eurovision is only sport, not a question of Jewish survival.
'Ey Sham' / 'Somewhere' - Ilanit (1973)
Final placing: 4th
The cliché says the first time is never great, but in retrospect Israel can certainly be proud of its debut appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg in 1973. The competition took place about six months before the Yom Kippur War, when Israel was still relatively innocent about trends in global pop music. For the mission, Israel sent Ilanit — the country’s most successful pop star, beloved and blonde, with no fewer than seven consecutive “Singer of the Year” titles to her name. Wearing an endless gown, she performed the wonderful “Ey Sham,” written for her by Ehud Manor and Nurit Hirsh. Ilanit finished in an extremely respectable fourth place, losing out to the likes of Anne-Marie David and Cliff Richard — hardly weak competition. Four years later, the singer returned to Eurovision for another round, this time with “Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim” (“Love Is a Song for Two”).