Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest
| Israel | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Member station |
Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) (1973-2016) Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (2016-) |
| National selection events |
National Final
Internal Selection
|
| Appearances | |
| Appearances | 39 (33 finals) |
| First appearance | 1973 |
| Best result | 1st: 1978, 1979, 1998 |
| Worst result | 24th SF: 2007 |
| External links | |
| IBA page | |
| Israel's page at Eurovision.tv | |
 For the most recent participation seeIsrael in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 |
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Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 39 times since making its debut in 1973. Israel is able to enter the contest as a Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union, which is responsible for the event. Israel has won the contest three times.
Israel's first appearance at the contest in 1973 was successful, with Ilanit finishing fourth. Israel then achieved back to back victories in 1978 and 1979, with wins for Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" and Gali Atari and Milk and Honey, with "Hallelujah". The country's best results in the 1980s were the second-place finishes for Avi Toledano in 1982 and Ofra Haza in 1983. Former winner Izhar Cohen returned to place fifth in 1985. Duo Datz finished third in 1991, before Israel achieved its third victory in 1998, with Dana International and "Diva". Eden then finished fifth in 1999. Israel has hosted the contest twice, in 1979 and 1999, both times in Jerusalem. In 1980, the IBA declined to host the contest for a second successive year for financial reasons. Instead the contest was held in The Hague. As the date set for the 1980 contest conflicted with Yom Hazikaron – Israeli Memorial Day – Israel did not participate. This is the only time that the winning country did not compete the following year. As of 2014, Israel has the record for most participations in the contest without ever coming last, but it has placed second to last in the final three times, in 1986, 1993 and 2006.
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