Eurovision 2010
In December 2009, the Israel Broadcasting Authority selected Skaat to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The announcement was made at the Knesset, Israel's legislative body. The selection was preceded by several days of speculation and confusion, and followed by criticism of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and calls for an investigation of the selection process. On 15 March 2010, "Milim" ("מילים", "Words") written by Noam Horev and composed by Tomer Hadadi, was selected uninaminously as the Israeli song entry for the Eurovision contest when it won the Kdam Eurovision, the country's pre-Eurovision selection competition. The four songs chosen as finalists for the Kdam Eurovision, including "Milim", were recorded in a studio by Skaat and released on a special EP entitled Eurovision 2010 At the Kdam Eurovision, Skaat sang "Milim" in Hebrew with the backing of string instruments, but before the Eurovision contest Skaat re-recorded it again entirely in Hebrew but with an altered vocal arrangement and with a full orchestra accompaniment. Because it was known by early March 2010 that the majority of Eurovision entries for that year would probably be sung in English (24 of the 39 entries at the Eurovision contest sang in English), there was some coverage in the Israeli media prior to Eurovision as to which language "Milim" should be sung—Hebrew, English, French, or in some combination of the languages.
Ultimately, Skaat sang the song in both the semi-finals (where he passed) and finals of Eurovision entirely in Hebrew, performing the altered version with the full orchestra accompaniment (although at Eurovision 2010, there was no live orchestra present, which meant that he sang with the backing of a recorded track). To promote the Israeli entry, a music video of "Milim" was released and Skaat also recorded and released English and French versions of the song.
At Oslo, Skaat explained to the press that "Milim" is about loss, such as in a break-up, but that for him, it has a deeper meaning. Skaat said, "this song touches me deeply. My grandfather died just days before the selections in Israel, and this gives me a very deep feeling, I feel that I'm really singing this song for him. He wanted me to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for five years, and then he got to hear that I was going to take part in the national selection before he passed away."
Despite being listed as one of the favorites to win on several online betting sites, Israel placed only 14th in the Eurovision contest's 50/50-result. Detailed analysis shows a wide difference between the overall voting of the viewers and the juries, both of whom had equal weight in determining the results of the finals. Israel placed fifth out of the 25 entries in the finals with the juries, but only 19th with the televoters. Had it been up to the public, Israel would not have made it past the semi-final rounds, placing 12th in a field of 17 with televoters in the second semi-final; Skaat's strong placement with the juries in the second semi-finals secured Israel's place in the finals. In spite of the disappointing results, Israel received something of a consolation prize, as the country swept the Eurovision-sanctioned 2010 Marcel Bezençon Awards, winning for best artist, best composition, and best entry of the contest. It is the first time in the history of the awards, which are selected by the contest's accredited media and press, participating composers, and commentators that a single country has won more than one award in the same year. At the end of the Eurovision contest, Skaat expressed pride and gratitude. He told one reporter, "I’m proud and happy over the performance and for representing . “We brought Israel artistic accolades. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. After all, it’s just sports.” While Christer Björkman, a founder of the Marcel Bezençon Awards awards, stated, "The awards given to the Israeli entry show a virtue of the prize. It reveals something that didn't come across in the vote of the contest.... This song is very beautiful, and we've been here two weeks now, but it might be that this song doesn't reach out in the same way the first time you hear it".
Read more about this topic: Harel Skaat