Dana International will represent Israel in the 2011 Eurovision song contest, after winning a preliminary singing contest on Tuesday. For the first time in six years, audience members chose the Israeli representative to the Eurovision, instead of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
The singer won the competition by a landslide with her song "Ding Dong," written by famed musician and composer Tzvika Pik, who had also collaborated with International the last time she took part in the Eurovision competition – when she won with the song "Diva" in 1998.
Respected artists such as Yehuda Poliker, Dani Dotan and Eli Abramov have also written songs for her in the past.
Idit Halevi, with her song "It's My Time," came in second at the contest geared to select Israel's Eurovision representative which took place at Rishon Letzion's concert hall. Vladi Blayberg, the first runner-up in the 2009 season of "A Star is Born" (Israel's version of "American Idol" ) was another contestant.
http://www.haaretz.com/culture/dana-international-to-represent-israel-at-2011-eurovision-1.348097