All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 39 entries in random order. Part thirty-two of the series is dedicated to the Israeli entry.

Basic information

Performer:	Harel Skaat (�ר�� סקעת)
Song:	Milim (×�×�×�×�×� – Words)
Language:	Hebrew
Music:	Tomer Adaddi
Lyrics:	Noam Horev
Draw:	3rd in the second semi final

The song

Milim is a classic ballad. Through the dramatic lyrics of the song, the singer mourns a separation:

×�×�×�ר ×ר×�×� ×�×�×¢×�ת ש×� ×�×� ש×�רפ×�ת ×�×� ×�×�ר×�×� ×�×�×�ת שר×�×�×� תקר×� ש×�×�×�×� ×�ש×�××� שר ×�×� ×�ת ×�ש×�ר ×�×�×�ר×�×� ×�ש×�רת ×�×� רק ×�×�×�×�×� ×�ק×�×� ×�×�×� ×�צ×�×�×�×�

The light fell asleep Tears of blood Burn in my throat A scratched handle A sloping ceiling As I sing the last song to you You left only words for me A shelter between the shadows

The performer

Harel Skaat became famous as a contestant in the 2004 season of Kokhav nolad, the Israeli version of Pop Idol. He proceeded to the final eventually finishing second behind Harel Moyal. In 2006, his eponymous debut album was relased and it would eventually be certified platinum. The album also spawned a series of hit singles including Kama od efshar and Ve'at. The album and Harel Skaat won various awards includng Song of the year and Best male singer.

After a legal dispute with his record company, Harel Skaat's second album was released in 2009. It spawned various hit singles and was certified gold for having sold more than 20,000 copies. At the end of the year, he finished second in the Male singer of the decade poll in Israel while his song Ve'at, written by Keren Peles, finished fourth in the Song of the decade category.

Harel Skaat was chosen internally to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. In the national final, he performed four different songs and it was decided that he would perform Milim in Oslo.

The songwriters

The Israeli entry was written by Tomer Adaddi (music) and Noam Horev (lyrics). Jerusalem Academy of Music graduate Tomer Adaddi is a composer, arranger, pianist and record producer. He has worked with many different acts including 2005 Israeli Eurovision Song Contest representative Shiri Maimon and German rock band The Scorpions. Furthermore, he has composed the music scores for films including award-winning Reverie.

The national selection

Harel Skaat had been chosen internally to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 and in the national final, he performed four different songs. The juries and the televoters decided to send the song Milim to Oslo.

Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest

Israel joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 and had a successful debut finishing fourth. The country did not have to wait very long for its first victory either, as that came in 1978. A second victory followed the year after on homeground and another time in 1998. Despite some low placings in the 2000s, Israel did well in 2005 and 2008 finishing fourth and ninth respectively.

×�××�××� ×�×�×�×�×�×� ×�×�שר×�×� ×�×�×�ר×�×� סקעת ×�×�צ×�×�×� ר×�×� ×�ת×�צ×�×� ×�×�×�×� ×�×�×�ס×�×�

Videos

Performance in the national final/Official preview video:

Final version of the song:

Performing the interval act of the Israeli national final 2005:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPlXcz-Eeno

Ve'at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N71MU8EuglU

Live performance of the song Lauf (2004):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg3inW8Syqk

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Estonian entry.

Previous parts of this series:

1. Ireland
2. Belarus
3. Albania
4. Denmark
5. Russia
6. Bulgaria
7. Switzerland
8. FYR Macedonia
9. Armenia
10. Spain
11. Poland
12. Croatia
13. Finland
14. Greece
15. Ukraine
16. Lithuania
17. Belgium
18. Norway
19. Portugal
20. Moldova
21. The Netherlands
22. The United Kingdom
23. Latvia
24. Serbia
25. France
26. Slovenia
27. Azerbaijan
28. Bosnia & Herzegovina
29. Georgia
30. Romania
31. Sweden