Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017

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Eurovision Song Contest 2017
CountryFlag of Israel.svg  Israel
National selection
Selection processArtist: HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion
Song: Internal selection
Selection date(s)Artist: 13 February 2017
Song: 13 March 2017
Selected entrant Imri
Selected song"I Feel Alive"
Selected songwriter(s)
  • Dolev Ram
  • Penn Hazut
Finals performance
Semi-final resultQualified (3rd, 207 points)
Final result23rd, 39 points
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄201620172018►

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Israeli broadcaster Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet and Tedy Productions which organised the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion ("The Next Star For Eurovision") to select the singer. The winner of the Israeli national selection was Imri Ziv and a committee of the Israeli broadcaster internally selected for him the song "I Feel Alive" written by Dolev Ram and Penn Hazut. The song was presented to the public on 13 March 2017.

Contents

Israel was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 11 May 2017. Performing as the closing entry during the show in position 18, "I Feel Alive" was announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 13 May.

Background

Prior to the 2017 contest, Israel had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest thirty-nine times since its first entry in 1973. [1] Israel has won the contest on three occasions: in 1978 with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" performed by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, in 1979 with the song "Hallelujah" performed by Milk and Honey, and in 1998 with the song "Diva" performed by Dana International. Since the introduction of semi-finals to the format of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, Israel has, to this point, managed to qualify to the final six times, including three top ten results in 2005 with Shiri Maimon and "HaSheket SheNish'ar" placing fourth, in 2008 with Boaz and "The Fire in Your Eyes" placing ninth, and in 2015 with Nadav Guedj and "Golden Boy" placing ninth. Israel had failed to qualify to the final for four consecutive years between 2011 and 2014 prior to their qualification in 2015. In 2016, Hovi Star represented Israel in Stockholm, Sweden with the song "Made of Stars". It ended 14th out of 26 entries in the final.

The Israeli entry for the 2017 Contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eirovizion ("The Next Star for Eurovision"), which was organised by Keshet and Tedy Productions. This was the fourth time that the Israeli entry would be selected through a collaboration with Keshet and Tedy Productions.

Before Eurovision

HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion

The singer who would perform the Israeli entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was selected through the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion ("The Next Star for Eurovision"), the original version of the international format Rising Star produced by Tedy Productions and Keshet Media Group. HaKokhav HaBa was used in 2015 and 2016 to select the Israeli artist for Eurovision. The shows were hosted by Assi Azar and Rotem Sela and featured a judging panel composed of Asaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Harel Skaat (2010 Israeli Eurovision entrant) and Static & Ben-El Tavori. The competition consisted of ten shows, which commenced on 1 January and concluded on 13 February 2017. All shows in the competition were broadcast on Channel 2 as well as online via mako.co.il.

In the audition phase of the competition, performers were required to achieve 70% of the votes during their performance in order to advance; each member of the judging panel could boost a performer's score by 10%. The judging panel then selected the top eight from all of the performers that advanced from the audition phase. The top eight then competed in four duels of two performers each. The winners of the duels qualified directly for the next show and the remaining four contestants competed in two duels in the second round. The winners of the duels in the second round advanced to the next show. The remaining six performers then competed in three duels where the three duel winners entered the final, while the remaining three contestants participated in the second round. Out of the three performers in the second round the best scoring participant qualified for the final. The four finalists were: Beatbox Element, Diana Golbi, Imri Ziv and Julieta. Imri Ziv was a backing singer for Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 and 2016.

Shows

Auditions 1–2 2–3 January 2017
DrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
1 Imri Ziv "The Edge of Glory" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 93%Advanced
2Beatbox Element"Bang Bang" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 91%Advanced
3Lee Sabach"Zemer Shlosh Hatshuvot" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 79%Advanced
4Daniel"Euphoria" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 28%Eliminated
5Ta-La-Te"Shikorim Meahava" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 75%Advanced
6 Diana Golbi "Alive" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 95%Advanced
7Halli Lewis"Me Too" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 87%Advanced
8Gala Kfoih"Creep" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg 41%Eliminated
9Judy Layne"My Way" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 81%Advanced
10Sapir Nahon"Sheva Ba'erev" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 88%Advanced
11Lihi Griner"The Climb" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 58%Eliminated
12Osher Biton"Lehishtagea"N/A Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 77%Advanced
Audition 3 9 January 2017
DrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
1Julieta"Listen" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 72%Advanced
2Yosef Gal"Boreach Mehakol" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 91%Advanced
3Shahar Tovok"Yoav" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 62%Eliminated
4Yona Shavin"Runnin' (Lose It All)" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 79%Advanced
5Amqa BandN/A Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 28%Eliminated
6 Helen Kalandadze "All About That Bass" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 90%Advanced
7Yonit Zaidenberg"Hachnisini Tachat Knafech" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 85%Advanced
Auditions 4–5 16 and 24 January 2017
DrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
1Ron Buchbut"Yarok Udvash" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png
N/A
Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 82%Advanced
2Elayev Family"Leyli Jon" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 77%Advanced
3Aviv Losev"Besof Kol Yom" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 56%Eliminated
4Beta Zinq"Dancing Shoes"
N/A
Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 77%Advanced
5Hamotagim"Liran Khultsa Afor" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 14%Eliminated
6Michal Shapira [lower-alpha 1] "Chandelier" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 76%Withdrew
7Chen Maximov"Leshem" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 84%Advanced
8Nika"Out Here on My Own" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 49%Eliminated
9Noy Eisen & Chen ZimmermanMashup [lower-alpha 2] Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 80%Advanced
10Eliad Malki"You Are the Only One" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg N/A27%Eliminated
11David Vanesyan"Rise Like a Phoenix" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 85%Advanced
Results of the further auditions
Artist
Beatbox ElementElayev FamilyJulietaSapir Nahon
Beta ZinqHalli LewisLee SabachTa-La-Te
Chen MaximovHelen KalandadzeNoy Eisen & Chen ZimmermanYona Shavin
David Vanesyan Imri Ziv Osher BitonYonit Zaidenberg
Diana Golbi Judy LayneRon BuchbutYosef Gal
Quarter-finals 1–2 First Round 30–31 January 2017
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
I1Julieta"Lama Li" / "Papi" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 87%Advanced
2Sapir Nahon"Yekirati" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 79%Second Round
II3 Imri Ziv "Rude Boy" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 72%Advanced
4Beatbox Element"Can't Hold Us" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg 49%Second Round
III5Halli Lewis"Cheap Thrills" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 58%Second Round
6Ta-La-Te"Mashke Yakar" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 69%Advanced
IV7Yona Shavin"Blurred Lines" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 38%Second Round
8 Diana Golbi "My Immortal" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 83%Advanced
Quarter-finals 1–2 Second Round
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
I1Yona Shavin"Wake Me Up" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 85%Eliminated
2Sapir Nahon"Geshem" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 87%Advanced
II3Halli Lewis"Love Yourself" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 52%Eliminated
4Beatbox Element"In a Manner of Speaking" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg 56%Advanced
Semi-final First Round 6 February 2017
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
I1 Imri Ziv "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 95%Advanced
2Sapir Nahon"Benadik" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 73%Second Round
II3Beatbox Element"Heathens" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 83%Advanced
4Julieta"Ve'im Preda" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 76%Second Round
III5Ta-La-Te"Simane Hazman" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 59%Second Round
6Diana Golbi"Feeling Good" Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 87%Advanced
Semi-final Second Round
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
IV1Julieta"Hata'am Hayashan" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 85%Advanced
2Ta-La-Te"Mahapecha Shel Simcha" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 26%Eliminated
3Sapir Nahon"Birkat Hamelech" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 75%Eliminated
Final

In the second round of the final the votes of the jury were symbolical, the winner was decided solely by the viewers who voted via the mobile application.

Final First Round 13 February 2017 [2]
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScoreResult
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
I1 Imri Ziv "Halo" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 78%Second Round
2Beatbox Element"Hey Mama" Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 55%Eliminated
II3Julieta"My Number One" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg Red Arrow Down.svg 53%Saved
4 Diana Golbi "Euphoria" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 84%Second Round
Final Second Round [2]
DuelDrawArtistSongJudges' VoteScorePlace
A. AmdurskyK. PelesH. SkaatStatic & B. El Tavori
III1Julieta"Shikorim Meahava" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 58%3
2 Imri Ziv "Because of You" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 74%1
3 Diana Golbi "Purple Rain" Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png Blue Arrow Up Darker.png 67%2

Promotion

Imri Ziv made several appearances across Europe to specifically promote "I Feel Alive" as the Israeli Eurovision entry. Between 3 and 6 April, Ziv took part in promotional activities in Tel Aviv where he performed during the Israel Calling event held at the Ha'teatron venue. [3] [4] On 8 April, Imri Ziv performed during the Eurovision in Concert event which was held at the Melkweg venue in Amsterdam, Netherlands and hosted by Cornald Maas and Selma Björnsdóttir. [5] On 15 April, he performed during the Eurovision Spain Pre-Party, which was held at the Sala La Riviera venue in Madrid, Spain. [6]

The music video of the song released ahead of the contest made reference to Ziv's previous experiences at Eurovision, when he performed as a backing singer for Nadav Guedj in 2015 and to Hovi Star in 2016. [7]

At Eurovision

Imri Ziv during a press meet and greet Imri Ziv 2017.jpg
Imri Ziv during a press meet and greet

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. [8] On 31 January 2017, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Israel was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 11 May 2017, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. [9]

Once all the competing songs for the 2017 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the shows' producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. Originally, Israel was set to perform in position 19, closing the show and following Estonia. [10] However, following Russia's withdrawal from the contest on 13 April and subsequent removal from the running order of the second semi-final, Israel's performing position shifted to 18. [11]

Semi-final

Imri Ziv took part in technical rehearsals on 3 April and 6 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 10 and 11 May. [12] This included the jury show on 10 May where the professional juries of each country watched and voted on the competing entries. [13]

The Israeli performance featured Imri Ziv dressed in a black sleeveless T-shirt and black trousers. A flashing white light backstage took up the whole video wall, while Imri stood to sing the first verse. White circles were projected on the LED screens during the chorus. The backing singers were all dressed in black. Imri was joined by two dancers dressed in white. There were flashing red and blue lights pulsating in the background. In addition to that, Imri's image was projected on the video wall. As the song neared its end, flashing orange lights flashed in the background. [14]

At the end of the show, Israel was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. [15] It was later revealed that Israel placed third in the semi-final, receiving a total of 207 points: 132 points from the televoting and 75 points from the juries. [16]

Final

Shortly after the second semi-final, a winners' press conference was held for the ten qualifying countries. As part of this press conference, the qualifying artists took part in a draw to determine which half of the grand final they would subsequently participate in. This draw was done in the reverse order the countries appeared in the semi-final running order. Israel was drawn to compete in the first half. Following this draw, the shows' producers decided upon the running order of the final, as they had done for the semi-finals. Israel was set to open the show and perform in position 1, before the entry from Poland. [17]

Imri Ziv once again took part in dress rehearsals on 12 and 13 May before the final, including the jury final where the professional juries cast their final votes before the live show. Imri Ziv performed a repeat of his semi-final performance during the final on 13 May, and finished in 23rd place with 39 points: 5 points from the televoting and 34 points from the juries. [18]

The Israeli spokesperson was Ofer Nachshon, who announced the country's jury votes. As he did, he informed viewers of the contest that the Israeli broadcaster, IBA, would be shutting down momentarily, therefore ending Israeli participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. IBA's replacement, KAN, was ineligible to join the EBU (the requirement for participation) at the time. [19] However, KAN later joined the EBU in time to supply an Israeli participation, and victory, in the next edition of the contest.

Voting

Points awarded to Israel

Points awarded by Israel

Detailed voting results

The following members comprised the Israeli jury: [22]

Detailed voting results from Israel (Semi-final 2) [20]
DrawCountryJuryTelevote
T. SondakN. AloosheK. OshratR. RollandM. ShevachRankPointsRankPoints
01Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 124179131316
02Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 275273883
03Flag of North Macedonia.svg  Macedonia 135161491465
04Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 812121069215
05Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 516481483210
06Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1113116121274
07Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 1321111247
08Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 6697157412
09Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 10118131011101
10Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 17171317171714
11Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 16101515161611
12Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 41112221013
13Flag of Switzerland.svg   Switzerland 14210111110192
14Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 996556538
15Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 31574456112
16Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 158141681517
17Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 7143334756
18Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Detailed voting results from Israel (Final) [21]
DrawCountryJuryTelevote
T. SondakN. AloosheK. OshratR. RollandM. ShevachRankPointsRankPoints
01Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
02Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 2322209201923
03Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 1191211610192
04Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1612116171315
05Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 18131710131511
06Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 22141915221814
07Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 66818108365
08Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 2015167412101
09Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 317143119238
10Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 13161016191620
11Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 13111112112
12Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 1210617121119
13Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 25181825252412
14Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 10111513141421
15Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 21192224182222
16Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 17252320232325
17Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 8251936516
18Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 24232121242518
19Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 19202423152013
20Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 1521714211747
21Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 14242522162124
22Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 9713557417
23Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 2491223856
24Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 4122921083
25Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 5844847210
26Flag of France.svg  France 753875674

Notes and references

Notes

  1. Michal Shapira, who qualified from the audition, announced later that she would withdraw from the competition.
  2. The two singers performed a mashup of these songs: Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), How Deep Is Your Love, We Don't Talk Anymore, Cold Water and Let Me Love You

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest</span> Participation of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest

Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 44 times since making its debut in 1973. Israel was able to enter the contest as the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which was responsible for the event. The IBA was succeeded as the broadcaster in charge of the Israeli entry by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/KAN) in 2018. Israel has won the contest four times, and has hosted the contest in Jerusalem twice in 1979 and 1999. Israel hosted the contest for the third time in Tel Aviv in 2019.

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "The Fire in Your Eyes" written by Dana International and Shay Kerem. The song was performed by Boaz Ma'uda, who was internally selected by the Israeli broadcaster Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) in collaboration with the commercial broadcaster Keshet in November 2007 to compete at the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia, The song Ma'uda would perform at Eurovision was selected through the national final Kdam Eurovision 2008 which took place on 15 March 2010 that featured five songs. "Ke'ilu Kan" emerged as the winning song after achieving the highest score following the combination of votes from two regional juries, two thematical jury groups, a jury panel and a public vote. The song title was later translated from Hebrew to English for the Eurovision Song Contest and was titled "The Fire in Your Eyes".

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Golden Boy", written by Doron Madali. The song was performed by Nadav Guedj. Israeli broadcaster Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet in order to select the Israeli entry for the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. The reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa, which was organised by Keshet, was used to select the artist that would represent Israel. Nadav Guedj emerged as the winner of the competition in a final that took place in February 2015. The song "Golden Boy" was later internally selected as the song Guedj would perform at Eurovision and was presented to the public in March 2015.

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Made of Stars" written by Doron Medalie. The song was performed by Hovi Star. Israeli broadcaster Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet in order to select the Israeli entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden. The reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eirovizion, which was organised by Keshet and Tedy Productions, was used to select the Israeli entry. The fifteen show competition concluded with a final on 3 March 2016 that featured four performers who were matched with potential Eurovision songs. "Made of Stars" performed by Hovi Star emerged as the winner following a public vote.

Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The country was represented by the song "Where I Am", performed by Anja and co-written by Australian songwriters Angel Tupai and Michael D'Arcy. The Danish broadcaster DR selected the entry through the national final Melodi Grand Prix 2017.

San Marino participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, held in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Sammarinese national broadcaster Radiotelevisione della Repubblica di San Marino (SMRTV) internally selected Sammarinese singer Valentina Monetta and American singer Jimmie Wilson with "Spirit of the Night" to represent the nation in the contest. Monetta had previously represented San Marino as a solo artist on three previous occasions. The 2017 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest was promoted through the creation of a music video and promotional performances in Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Madrid. San Marino performed 10th in the second semi-final, held on 11 May 2017, and placed 18th with one point, failing to qualify for the grand final.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "City Lights", written by Pierre Dumoulin, Emmanuel Delcourt and Ellie Delvaux. The song was performed by Blanche, who was selected by the Belgian broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) on 22 November 2016 to represent the nation at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. "City Lights" was internally selected as the song Blanche would perform at Eurovision and later premiered on 8 March 2017.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Story of My Life" written by Arciom Lukjanienka. The song was performed by the band Naviband. The Belarusian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of fourteen competing acts participating in a televised production where "Historyja majho žyccia" performed by Navi was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting. The song was later retitled as "Story of My Life" for the Eurovision Song Contest, while the band was renamed as Naviband.

Albania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the song "World" performed by Lindita Halimi. Its selected entry was chosen through the national selection competition Festivali i Këngës organised by Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) in December 2016. To this point, the nation had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 13 times since its first entry in 2004. Prior to the contest, the song was promoted by a music video and live performances in Israel, the Netherlands and Spain. Albania was drawn to compete in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 9 May 2017. Performing as number fourth, the nation was not announced among the top 10 entries of the first semi-final and therefore failed to qualify for the grand final, marking Albania's seventh non-qualification in the contest.

Georgia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Keep the Faith" written by Anri Jokhadze and Tamara Gachechiladze. The song was performed by Tamara Gachechiladze, who was due to represent in the Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 as part of Stephane and 3G with the song "We Don't Wanna Put In" before the nation's withdrawal in protest of the Russo-Georgian War. Songwriter Anri Jokhadze represented Georgia in the 2012 contest where he failed to qualify to the final with the song "I'm a Joker". The Georgian broadcaster Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) held a national final in order to select the Georgian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. An open call for submissions was held which resulted in the submission of twenty-five entries that were presented to the public during a televised production on 20 January 2017. The results of a public televote combined with the votes of an international jury resulted in the selection of "Keep the Faith" performed by Tamara Gachechiladze as the Georgian entry.

Malta participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Breathlessly" written by Philip Vella, Sean Vella and Gerard James Borg. The song was performed by Claudia Faniello. The Maltese entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through the national final Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2017, organised by the Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). The competition consisted of a final, held on 18 February 2017, where "Breathlessly" performed by Claudia Faniello eventually emerged as the winning entry after gaining 26% of the public televote.

Montenegro participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Space" written by Momcilo Zekovic. The song was performed by Slavko Kalezić, who was internally selected by the Montenegrin broadcaster Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG) to represent the nation at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. Slavko Kalezić was announced as the Montenegrin representatives on 29 December 2016, while his song, "Space", was presented to the public on 10 March 2017.

Romania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Yodel It!" written by Mihai Alexandru and Alexandra Niculae. The song was performed by Ilinca and Alex Florea. In October 2016, the Romanian broadcaster Televiziunea Română (TVR) announced that they would be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest after a one-year absence following their forced withdrawal in 2016 due to repeated non-payment of debts to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). TVR organised the national final Selecția Națională 2017 in order to select the Romanian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. The national final consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final. Fifteen entries were selected to compete in the semi-final on 26 February 2017 where a five-member jury panel selected ten entries to advance to the final. The ten qualifiers competed in the final on 5 March 2017 where "Yodel It!" performed by Ilinca and Alex Florea was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.

Slovenia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "On My Way" written by Omar Naber. The song was performed by Omar Naber, who had previously represented Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005 where he failed to qualify to the final with the song "Stop". Slovenian broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija organised the national selection EMA 2017 in order to select the Slovenian entry for the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. After a two-week-long competition consisting of two semi-finals, and a final, "On My Way" performed by Omar Naber emerged as the winner after achieving the highest score following the combination of votes from a regional jury vote from six regions in Slovenia and a public vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imri Ziv</span> Israeli singer

Imri Ziv, also known as IMRI, is an Israeli singer and voice actor. After winning HaKokhav HaBa, he represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv with the song "I Feel Alive" placing in the 23rd place in the finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Feel Alive</span>

"I Feel Alive" is a song performed by Israeli singer Imri Ziv. The song represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. It was written by Dolev Ram and Penn Hazut. The song was released as a digital download on 10 March 2017 by Unicell.

Israel participated in and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. The Israeli broadcaster Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/KAN) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet and Tedy Productions, which organised the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion to select the singer. The winner of the Israeli national selection was Netta Barzilai and a committee of the Israeli broadcaster internally selected the song "Toy" for her.

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the entry "Home" written by Ohad Shragai and Inbar Weitzman. The Israeli broadcaster Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/KAN) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet and Tedy Productions, which organisied the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion. On 12 February, Kobi Marimi won the competition and therefore performed the Israeli song in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Israel originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The Israeli broadcaster Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Keshet and Tedy Productions, which organisied the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion. The competition was won by Eden Alene, with a separate national final, HaShir HaBa L'Eurovizion, held to select her entry "Feker Libi". However, the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Israel participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy with the entry "I.M" performed by Michael Ben David. The Israeli broadcaster Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/KAN) collaborated with the commercial broadcaster Reshet in order to select the Israeli entry for the 2022 contest. The fourth season of the reality singing competition The X Factor Israel, which was organised by Reshet, was used to select the Israeli entry. The competition concluded with a final on 5 February 2022 that featured four finalists with potential Eurovision songs that were selected for them through a song selection round in January and February 2022. The winner was selected following the combination of the votes from a public vote and two jury groups.

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