Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Israel first entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973, when Ilanit represented the country in Luxembourg with "Ey Sham" ("Somewhere Over There"), finishing fourth.[6] Participation is tied to membership in the European Broadcasting Union, which Israel joined in 1957.[7] Israel has participated in the contest 41 times since that debut.[8]

In earlier decades, the Israel Broadcasting Authority shaped the selection process: in 1978, it decided that the winner of the Israel Song Festival would represent Israel at Eurovision. The 2004 artist was instead selected by an Israel Broadcasting Authority-appointed committee.[9][2] Israeli Eurovision participation has also carried significance beyond entertainment. The Jewish Review of Books argues: "For Israel, being part of Eurovision is a potent way of asserting its identity as a member of the community of nations."[7]

In November 2003, an Israel Broadcasting Authority-appointed committee selected David D'Or to represent Israel at Eurovision in Istanbul.[2] The committee's stated criteria included performance experience in Israel and abroad, the ability to withstand pressure, live-singing ability and experience, public prominence, and suitability to represent the country.[2]

D'Or was chosen over several other candidates: the girl group Hamsa, singer Ninet Tayeb, veteran performer Zahava Ben, and Ron Shoval.[2] Before the selection was finalized, D'Or expressed hope to represent Israel with honor and bring the country pride, which he said it needed "especially in the difficult days we are going through." The committee chair, Avraham Natan, similarly expressed hope that D'Or would represent Israel honorably during what he described as a period of hostility toward Israel in Europe.[2]

"Leha'amin" was chosen from four candidate songs in a public selection event held during a Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball game against Žalgiris Kaunas at the Nokia Arena.[3] The four songs presented were "להאמין" ("Leha'amin" / "To Believe"), "ימים טובים" ("Good Days"), "Freedom," and "בואו מלאכים" ("Come, Angels").[3]

The selection process combined three inputs: votes from approximately 1,000 spectators at the arena, votes from roughly 25,000 television viewers watching at home, and the judgment of a special committee composed of Israel Broadcasting Authority staff, musicians, and media professionals.[3] "Leha'amin" received 47% of the arena audience's votes and 66% of the home-viewer vote, and it secured the support of 8 of the committee's 13 members.[3] The committee characterized it as the song with the most Eurovision-like character.[3]

D'Or wrote the lyrics and co-composed the song with Ofer Meiri, who also served as arranger.[10][3]

In the weeks before the contest, Israel's delegation underwent a change to its backing vocal lineup. Backing singers Boris Sultanov and Asnat Zano were to remain in Israel, with Merav Shalom and Tali Tabalov considered as replacements; a final decision had not yet been made at the time the change was reported.[11] Sultanov attributed the substitution to Ofer Meiri's preference for thinner, more feminine, childlike voices.[11]

The lineup change also prompted a dispute over promotional material. Israel Broadcasting Authority officials criticized a mismatch between a promotional clip sent abroad and the planned stage lineup, while D'Or's representative maintained that Sultanov and Zano's voices did not appear on the clip; Sultanov, for his part, said he had sung on it.[11]

The 2004 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Istanbul and divided into a semi-final and a final two days later.[1] Countries that had finished in the previous year's top ten, along with the four major contributing broadcasters — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain — qualified automatically for the final, leaving ten additional places to be filled by the semi-final.[1]

Israel competed in the semi-final, where "Leha'amin" did not advance. Twenty-two countries competed for ten available places in the final.[4] D'Or responded to the non-qualification with equanimity: "It's a kind of game, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose," he said, adding that his team had done its best but "unfortunately it didn't work."[4]

Ukraine's Ruslana won the overall contest that year with "Wild Dances."[5]

Following Israel's elimination, several figures connected to the delegation offered their assessments of the result. Songwriter and Israel Broadcasting Authority figure Yoav Ginai argued that the absence of France and Russia — countries he characterized as traditionally supportive of Israel in Eurovision — had hurt Israel's points total, suggesting that Israel would probably have qualified had those countries voted.[4] Delegation head Yitzhak Zonnenshein was more categorical, saying that in a contest where bloc voting determined results, Israel would never have a chance.[4]

D'Or did not align himself with those explanations: "I don't want to pin this on various reasons, like politics," he said.[4] These assessments reflect the views of the individuals involved rather than established causes of the non-qualification.

The exact semi-final placing differs between published accounts. Ynet's report, published immediately after the semi-final, listed Israel 12th among 22 entries. A 2020 Mako retrospective listed the result as 11th. Both sources agree that "Leha'amin" finished outside the top ten and did not qualify for the final.[4][1]