To date there have been three Israeli victories in the contest. Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta won in Paris in 1978 with the uptempo A-Ba-Ni-Bi.
On home ground in Jerusalem the following year, Israel won again, this time with the anthemic Hallelujah performed by Gali Atari & Milk and Honey. For reasons that still escaped me, Israel did not defend the title in 1980.
The third victory came almost 20 years later in Birmingham, UK in 1998. Singer Dana International took top honors with the song Diva, setting off widespread celebrations in Israel.
40 years ago, an unknown band from Sweden won, they’re name....ABBA.
Ah..thanks for the correction and the update. I was just speaking from a memory...it’s been 30 years! :-)
In any case...the current ‘winner’ shows how far the contest has descended.
Dana International, who won for Israel in 1998, is a transsexual and was widely opposed by Israeli conservatives.