Milim

"Milim" was written by lyricist Noam Horev and composed by Tomer Hadadi.[2] It was chosen to represent Israel at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest after a selection broadcast hosted by Ofer Shechter, which ran for two hours and fifteen minutes.[4] During that broadcast, Harel Skaat performed four candidate songs — "Milim," "Eleyich," "Laan," and "Lehitkarev" — with immediate judging provided by Zvika Pik, Mira Awad, and Moshe Datz, followed by public voting and rankings from jury panels.[2] The winning song was determined by a combination of audience and judge votes.[4]

The selection evening also featured Skaat performing "Hallelujah" alongside Gali Atari, as well as a performance of "Socrates" by Shlomi Saranga.[4] Immediately after "Milim" was announced as the winner, Skaat dedicated the song to his grandfather, Avraham Shimon, who had died the previous week.[4]

The selection process itself was not without difficulty. The Israel Broadcasting Authority encountered complications during its preparations for the contest, prompting MK Alex Miller of Yisrael Beiteinu to ask the state comptroller to investigate the authority's conduct.[2]

The lyrics of "Milim" draw on imagery of silence, a cracked window, locked rooms, and the words left behind after a departure.[4] Noam Horev is credited as lyricist and Tomer Hadadi as composer.[4]

Ahead of Eurovision, Skaat rerecorded the song with a somewhat different arrangement and production intended to suit it to the international contest.[5] Plans were also announced for versions in French, Spanish, and English, alongside a rhythmic remix by Mash & Dro; these were expected to appear on Skaat's official Eurovision 2010 single.[5]

"Milim" was assigned to the second Eurovision semifinal in Oslo on May 27, 2010; Skaat subsequently reached the May 29 final, where he performed 24th among 25 acts.[4][6] Israel finished 14th overall with 71 points; Finland and the Netherlands each awarded Israel their highest scores of 10 points, while Slovakia contributed 8 points.[1]

Before Skaat took the stage, Ynetnews described the broadcast map as showing Israel within the 1967 borders and omitting the West Bank — known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria.[1] The article reported that the map was shown after an appeal by Ynet, the Israeli delegation, and the Foreign Ministry, which had sought explanations after a map was omitted during the semifinal.[1]

Despite the mid-table finish in points, the Israeli delegation received three professional and artistic awards connected to the contest. These recognized the artist, the performance as judged by the press, and the song's writer and composer.[3] It was the first time a single delegation had won all three.[1][3] After the competition concluded, Skaat reflected that the delegation had "brought artistic respect to Israel."[1]

In April 2024, Havurah, a project within NextGenInc., was reported to be releasing a special edition of Verklempt! Magazine titled "Ein Milim," translated as "No Words." The edition was planned in Hebrew and English with six poems, in the wake of October 7.[7] The available source does not establish a direct connection between that project and the Eurovision song.[7]