Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1978 with Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta’s “A-Ba-Ni-Bi.” The contest was held in Paris on 22 April 1978, and the Israeli entry finished first with 157 points.
“A-Ba-Ni-Bi” was written by Nurit Hirsh and Ehud Manor. Its title refers to a children’s language game in Hebrew in which syllables are inserted into words. The lively disco-influenced performance helped make the song one of Israel’s best-known early Eurovision victories.
The 1978 contest included 20 participating countries and was hosted by France after Marie Myriam won the previous year. Belgium finished second, while France placed third. The result gave Israel its first Eurovision victory, four years before the country won again with “Hallelujah.”
A common mix-up is to identify the winning act simply as Izhar Cohen. Cohen was the lead singer, but the entry was officially performed by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta, the accompanying vocal group.