Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982

Although Israel is not geographically in Europe, it had participated in Eurovision since 1973 and had already won the contest in 1978 and 1979.[6]

Israel’s Channel One established Kdam Eurovision as a song competition to select the country’s Eurovision representative. The standalone selection event first took place in 1981, and the name “Kdam Eurovision” became established the following year.[7]

Toledano had competed in the 1981 selection with “Carnival,” finishing third.[5] In 1982 he returned with “Hora” and won the national preselection.[5] Yardena Arazi’s “Music Remains” finished second in that domestic competition, beginning a run of three consecutive second-place finishes for her in Kdam.[7]

“Hora” combined lyrics by Yoram Taharlev with music by Avi Toledano.[3] Toledano recalled having a melody built around the word “Hora,” for which Taharlev supplied lyrics that expressed what the singer called “the essence of Israeliness.”[8] After recording the song, Toledano listened to it in his car and was moved to tears; he recalled repeatedly playing it and feeling that it was bound to lead to something.[9]

Following the national selection victory, the performance costumes were changed in an effort to connect with European viewers.[2] Designer Dorin Frankfurt described Toledano’s Eurovision outfit as white satin brocade.[2] The female dancers wore green skirts decorated with jingling gold coins, while the male performers wore black trousers and burgundy shirts also decorated with coins.[2] The dancers performed barefoot to emphasize a Mediterranean atmosphere.[2]

The international contest took place in April 1982 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.[1][2] Contestants were then required to sing in their countries’ official languages, and Toledano performed with a team of dancers.[4] His delivery was exuberant, accompanying the song’s cheerful opening.[3] “Hora” finished second, 61 points behind Germany’s Nicole.[1][10]

Toledano later said he tried to focus on performing at his best and representing Israel rather than on winning. The scale of the event became clear to him when he faced dozens of photographers and moved with security guards.[9]

Toledano recalled returning immediately after Eurovision to perform at Independence Day celebrations in Beersheba.[1] He said that 20 police officers were needed to get him from one performance to another.[1]

His involvement in Israel’s Eurovision selection continued the following year through “Hi,” a song he composed.[5] Ofra Haza won the national preselection with that song in 1983.[5]

Retrospective accounts differ on the song’s credits. Ynet identifies Taharlev as lyricist and Toledano as composer.[3] Maariv likewise reports that Taharlev wrote lyrics for Toledano’s melody.[8] A Mako overview instead attributes “Hora” to Ehud Manor and Toledano without specifying their roles.[10]

A separate disagreement concerns Finland’s vote. One account says Finland awarded Israel 12 points, while Toledano is quoted elsewhere saying Finland awarded none.[4][9] Because of that conflict, the story that Finnish judges rewarded the entry because of the local meaning of “Hora” is best treated as a humorous anecdote rather than a verified explanation of the voting.[4][9]

“Hora” appears in an Israeli-music playlist of Eurovision songs, credited as a performance by Avi Toledano and running 2 minutes 51 seconds.[11] It also appears as track seven on the compilation “The Producer’s Collection: Eurovision Songs,” where its duration is listed as three minutes.[12]

Later retrospectives continued to single out the performance. A 2019 ranking placed “Hora” fifth among Israel’s Eurovision songs, praising its cheerful opening and Toledano’s exuberance, while a 2023 survey included it among ten standout Israeli Eurovision performances.[3][9]