Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

Israel began participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973, becoming the first non-European country to enter the competition.[3] Beginning in 1978, the winner of the Israel Song Festival was designated as Israel's Eurovision representative.[3]

The 1980 contest in The Hague coincided with Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers, and Israel declined to participate.[6][7] For financial reasons, Israel also declined to host the event, which was consequently moved to the Netherlands.[7] The Israel Song Festival winner that year, "Pizmon Chozer" by the Brothers and Sisters, therefore did not go to Eurovision.[2] It remains the only time the previous year's Eurovision winner did not participate the following year.[6]

After Israel's consecutive Eurovision victories in 1978 and 1979, producer Hanoch Hasson initiated a new format for the 1981 selection: a dedicated national final called "Likrat Eurovision" ("Towards Eurovision"), staged in place of the traditional festival-based method.[8] Ma'ariv referred to the event as "Israovision," while the Israel Broadcasting Authority called it a "Towards Eurovision" broadcast. The name "Kdam Eurovision" became established the following year, in 1982.[9]

The national final was staged at Israel Broadcasting Authority studios in Jerusalem, broadcast live on Channel 1, and hosted by Daniel Pe'er.[8] Twelve artists and groups competed. Unlike the Israel Song Festival, the event generally used playback rather than a live orchestra, limited songs to three minutes, and allowed any Israeli citizen to submit a song.[8] The studio audience and viewers at voting centers in different cities across Israel chose the winner.[8]

The lineup included Shlomo Gronich and Dafna Armoni, Miri Aloni, Geri Eckstein, Mike Burstyn, Milk and Honey, Avi Toledano, Irit Bulka, Eitan Masuri, and Hedva Amrani.[10] HaKol Over HaBibi won with "Halaila," earning the right to represent Israel in Dublin.[2] Eldad Shrem's "Cinderella" finished as runner-up, while Milk and Honey with Lea Lupatin placed fourth with "Serenada," and Yigal Bashan came sixth with "Ten Li."[8]

"Halaila" began as an English-language song brought to HaKol Over HaBibi by manager Haim Saban in 1980; Shuki Levy wrote and composed the original.[8] For the Hebrew version, group members Shlomit Aharon and Yuval Dor wrote the lyrics, and Eldad Shrem arranged the song.[5] Its lyrics center on anticipation of greater intimacy between a couple.[4] Shrem also entered the national final as a performer with his composition "Cinderella," which came second.[8]

At the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, HaKol Over HaBibi performed "Halaila" with Eldad Shrem serving as arranger and conductor.[4] The delegation used a format previously associated with Israel's "Hallelujah" entry: one female singer backed by three male performers.[1] Israel placed seventh out of 20 entries, earning 56 points; the United Kingdom won with 136 points.[4]

Shlomit Aharon was seven months pregnant during the Dublin performance.[1][5] She later recalled that she had been in her fifth month during the national final and her seventh month at Eurovision, so the sequin dress made for her earlier appearance had to be enlarged before the Dublin contest.[5] She said that on the night before the performance, the other group members stayed up attaching sequins to the altered dress.[5]

Arranger and conductor Eldad Shrem recalled the Dublin trip as stressful, describing the group as unsettled and professional problems as a source of tension, although he added that he himself was not stressed by the circumstances.[11]

The 1981 contest was HaKol Over HaBibi's second opportunity to represent Israel at Eurovision.[1] Aharon later said the group had declined an offer to perform "Hallelujah" in 1979 because professional disagreements made the timing unsuitable. She said that missing the opportunity prompted the members to resolve their differences and reach arrangements that allowed them to continue together.[5]

By September 1981, after Aharon had given birth to a daughter, a Jerusalem Post Magazine item reported that the quartet planned to resume performances across Israel.[12]

Modern sources use more than one Latin-script rendering of the Hebrew song title, including "HaLayla" and "Halaila."[1][8] The OCR text of a September 1981 Jerusalem Post Magazine scan gives "Haletla" and anomalously renders Shlomit Aharon's name as "Shlomit (Mrs. Yuval) Dror." Because these forms come from OCR-derived text, they should be treated cautiously and likely reflect transcription errors rather than alternative names.[12]