Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 with Netta’s “Toy”.
The contest was held in Lisbon, Portugal, after Portugal’s victory with Salvador Sobral in 2017. Netta Barzilai represented Israel with “Toy”, a pop song built around a distinctive vocal style, loop-based production and references to female empowerment.
Israel won the grand final with 529 points. The result combined public televoting with the separate national jury scores used under Eurovision’s voting system at the time. “Toy” had already attracted attention before the final because of Netta’s unusual performance and stage presentation.
The 2018 victory was Israel’s fourth Eurovision win. Earlier Israeli winners were Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta in 1978, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey in 1979, and Dana International in 1998. Israel’s win also meant the 2019 contest was hosted in Tel Aviv.