Israel was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Rak Bishvilo" written by Chen Harari and Gal Sarig. The song was performed by Moran Mazor. The Israeli entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden was selected through the national final Kdam Eurovision 2013, organised by the Israeli broadcaster Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). The five show competition consisting of three semi-finals and a Second Chance round concluded with a final on 7 March 2013 that featured ten entries. "Rak Bishvilo" performed by Moran Mazor emerged as the winner after achieving the highest score following the combination of votes from a seven-member jury panel and a public vote.
Israel was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 16 May 2013. Performing during the show in position 10, "Rak Bishvilo" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Israel placed fourteenth out of the 17 participating countries in the semi-final with 40 points.
Background
Prior to the 2013 contest, Israel had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest thirty-five times since its first entry in 1973. Israel has won the contest on three occasions: in 1978 with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" performed by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, in 1979 with the song "Hallelujah" performed by Milk and Honey and in 1998 with the song "Diva" performed by Dana International. Since the introduction of semi-finals to the format of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004, Israel has, to this point, managed to qualify to the final five times, including two top ten results in 2005 with Shiri Maimon and "HaSheket SheNish'ar" placing fourth, and in 2008 with Boaz and "The Fire in Your Eyes" placing ninth. In 2011 and 2012, Israel has failed to qualify to the final consecutively, which included their 2012 entry "Time" performed by Izabo.
The Israeli national broadcaster, Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) had been in charge of the nation's participation in the contest since its debut in . Following prior announcements on 9 August 2012 that a national final under a new format would be organised in order to select the Israeli entry for 2013, IBA confirmed Israel's participation in the contest on 10 October 2013. The budget for the national final was estimated to be €400,000.
Before Eurovision
Kdam Eurovision 2013 The Israeli entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was selected through the national final Kdam Eurovision 2013. The competition consisted of five shows, which commenced with the first of three semi-finals on 26 February 2013 and concluded with a final on 7 March 2013. All shows in the competition took place at the Broadcast Studio Complex in Holon, hosted by Ron Shachar and 1991 Israeli Eurovision entrant Orna Datz and were broadcast on Channel 1 as well as online via IBA's official Eurovision Song Contest website Eurovil.
Format 30 entries were selected to compete over five shows which consisted of three semi-finals on 26, 27 and 28 February 2013 with ten entries taking part in each show, a second chance round on 3 March 2013, and a final on 7 March 2013. The top three entries from each semi-final advanced directly to the final, while the fourth and fifth placed entries advanced to the Second Chance round. The bottom five entries in each semi-final were eliminated. An additional entry qualified to the final from the Second Chance round, bringing the total number of competing entries in the final to ten. It was later announced that the competition format had been revised and only the fourth placed entry would advance to the Second Chance round from each semi-final with the bottom six entries being eliminated instead.
The public vote that took place in the five shows was conducted entirely through SMS. The results of the semi-finals were determined through the 50/50 combination of a public vote and the votes of a five-member jury panel, while in the Second Chance round, the results were determined solely by the public vote. In the final, the results were determined through the 50/50 combination of a public vote and the votes of a ten-member jury panel.
Competing entries On 31 December 2012, IBA opened the public submission with the deadline on 16 January 2013. Thirty entries were chosen by a special committee consisting of music industry professionals and announced on 29 January 2013. The members of the committee were Moshe Morad (director of 88FM), Riki Gal (singer), Tomer G (DJ), Yossi Gispan (lyricist), Tal Argaman (music editor at 88FM), Gavri Mazor (ACUM representative), Dalit Cahana (vocal coach), Itzik Yehoshua (project manager of 88FM) and Roi Yechezkel (president of OGAE Israel). The competing songs in each semi-final were released online on 19, 20 and 21 February 2013, respectively. Artist Song Songwriter(s) Aderet "Victory" Aderet Adi Cesare "Lo Niten Lecha Lipol" () Adi Cesare Adir Getz "Ha'ikar She'ani Shar" () Adir Getz Alon Jean "Lihyot Et Hayay" () Alon Jan, Baruch Fridland, Einat Hollander Bezalel Raviv "No War" Eliayhu Siboni, Yotam Bekker, Bezalel Raviv Chen Cohen "Halev Mevakesh" () Chen Cohen, Christina Yizhar Hadar Uzeri "Ten Maa'wal" () Ronen Shaul Blonder, Hadar Ozeri Haya Samir "Happy and Sad" Haya Samir Hila Ben David "Beautiful" Gary Gazarkh Judah Gavra "Hayom" () Tomer Hadidi, Yehuda Gavra Julietta "Fantasia" () Doron Medalie Kathleen Reiter "Ad Elay" () Dor Daniel, Sahar Hagai, Patricia Ori Cohen Laila "Bo" () Yoni Roe Lihi Griner and Omri "69" Segal "Just Like Me" Kraziner Lev, Omri Segal, Idan Roe Liran Notik "Alive" Liran Notik Meital De Razon and Asi Tal "Toda la noche" Asi Tal, Meital De Razon Michael Harpaz "Michtav Le'ima" () Michael Harpaz Moran Mazor "Rak Bishvilo" () Chen Harari, Gal Sarig Moran Mazoz "Ten Li Siman" () Shuli Yosef Nicki Goldstein "We Are One" Niki Goldstein, Yaron Malachi Ortal Ofek "Tagid Li Lama" () Ortal Ofek Ran Sandler "Find a Way" Doron Gal Ron Weinreich "Love Is One" Yoad Fekete, Ron Weinreich Roni Silver "Belibi" () Idan Yaniv, Itay Zilberstein Sarit Avitan "Mon amour" Sharona Pick, Mirit Shem Orr Shany Zamir "Forever" Shani Zamir SoulKey "Living One Time" Itzik Kreif, Eric Forman The Ultras "Happy Birthday" Eli Peretz, Dan Bartov, Cedric Ben Shabat Vladi Blayberg "We Are Free" Doron Plaskov, Saar Badishi, Noy Alooshe Yarden Tzur "Replace You" Yarden Tzur
Shows
Semi-final 1 The first semi-final took place on 26 February 2013. "Forever" performed by Shany Zamir, "Love Is One" performed by Ron Weinreich and "Ad Elay" performed by Kathleen Reiter qualified directly to the final, while "Hayom" performed by Judah Gavra advanced to the Second Chance round. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Moshe Peretz performed the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 winning song "Hallelujah" as the interval act. The jury panel that voted in the first semi-final consisted of Ilanit (1973 and 1977 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Moshe Datz (1991 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Dafna Dekel (1992 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Uri Paster (theatre and cinema director) and Mira Awad (2009 Israeli Eurovision entrant). On 6 March 2013, Kathleen Reiter who initially directly qualified from the first semi-final announced her withdrawal from the competition.
Draw Artist Song Result 1 Laila "Bo" Eliminated 2 Adir Getz "Ha'ikar She'ani Shar" Eliminated 3 Ortal Ofek "Tagid Li Lama" Eliminated 4 Adi Cesare "Lo Niten Lecha Lipol" Eliminated 5 Shany Zamir "Forever" Advanced 6 Ron Weinreich "Love Is One" Advanced 7 Aderet "Victory" Eliminated 8 Kathleen Reiter "Ad Elay" Withdrawn 9 Judah Gavra "Hayom" Advanced 10 Lihi Griner and Omri "69" Segal "Just Like Me" Eliminated
Semi-final 2 The second semi-final took place on 27 February 2013. "Find a Way" performed by Ran Sandler, "Ten Li Siman" performed by Moran Mazoz and "We Are Free" performed by Vladi Blayberg qualified directly to the final, while "Replace You" performed by Yarden Tzur advanced to the Second Chance round. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Asaf Hertz and Eleana Tidhar performed the Israeli Eurovision Song Contest 1981 entry "Halayla" as the interval act. The jury panel that voted in the second semi-final consisted of Ilanit (1973 and 1977 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Moshe Datz (1991 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Dafna Dekel (1992 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Uri Paster (theatre and cinema director) and Mira Awad (2009 Israeli Eurovision entrant).
Draw Artist Song Result 1 Sarit Avitan "Mon amour" Eliminated 2 Chen Cohen "Halev Mevakesh" Eliminated 3 The Ultras "Happy Birthday" Eliminated 4 Ran Sandler "Find a Way" Advanced 5 Moran Mazoz "Ten Li Siman" Advanced 6 SoulKey "Living One Time" Eliminated 7 Haya Samir "Happy and Sad" Eliminated 8 Vladi Blayberg "We Are Free" Advanced 9 Yarden Tzur "Replace You" Advanced 10 Roni Silver "Belibi" Eliminated
Semi-final 3 The third semi-final took place on 28 February 2013. "Toda la noche" performed by Meital De Razon & Asi Tal, "Beautiful" performed by Hila Ben David and "Rak Bishvilo" performed by Moran Mazor qualified directly to the final, while "We Are One" performed by Nicki Goldstein advanced to the Second Chance round. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Asaf Hertz and Eleana Tidhar performed "Shvil ha'bricha" by Rita as the interval act. The jury panel that voted in the third semi-final consisted of Ilanit (1973 and 1977 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Moshe Datz (1991 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Dafna Dekel (1992 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Uri Paster (theatre and cinema director) and Mira Awad (2009 Israeli Eurovision entrant).
Draw Artist Song Result 1 Liran Notik "Alive" Eliminated 2 Meital De Razon and Asi Tal "Toda la noche" Advanced 3 Alon Jean "Lihyot Et Hayay" Eliminated 4 Bezalel Raviv "No War" Eliminated 5 Hadar Uzeri "Ten Maa'wal" Eliminated 6 Michael Harpaz "Michtav Le'ima" Eliminated 7 Nicki Goldstein "We Are One" Advanced 8 Hila Ben David "Beautiful" Advanced 9 Julietta "Fantasia" Eliminated 10 Moran Mazor "Rak Bishvilo" Advanced
Second chance round The Second chance round took place on 3 March 2013. The three entries that placed fourth in the preceding three semi-finals competed and "Hayom" performed by Judah Gavra qualified to the final solely by SMS votes from the public. On 6 March 2013, "We Are One" performed by Nicki Goldstein, who placed second, was announced to also have qualified to the final in order to replace Kathleen Reiter who initially directly qualified from the first semi-final but announced her withdrawal from the competition.
Draw Artist Song Place Result 1 Judah Gavra "Hayom" 1 Advanced 2 Yarden Tsur "Replace You" 3 Eliminated 3 Nicki Goldstein "We Are One" 2 Advanced
Final