On April 22, 1978, Israel earned it’s first victory in the Eurovision Song Contest.
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A fast conversion to disco tempo enabled Israel to win the Eurovision song contest for the first time since its creation 23 years ago. The song, "Ah-Bah-Nee-Bee," performed by Izhar Cohen and the Alpha-Beta Singers, simply enthralled the juries because it brought something fresh on the stage of the Palais des Congress here last Saturday night whereas most of the other contestants clung to the kind of music that amassed the most votes in past competitions.
As host country the next year, Israel repeated as champion with the more folky "Hallelujah" performed by Gali Atari.
Israel’s only other victory to date was in 1998, a victory by Dana International, a performer whose transsexual identity was the subject of a secular-religious rift that year. Dana International’s 2011 Eurovision entry was popular with Israelis, but flopped on the international stage, failing to advance past the semi-final round.
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