At number 40 on the Eurovision Top 100 list, we go back to Israel for their 2005 entry, “HaSheket SheNish’ar,” performed by Shiri Maimon.
This was recent enough that many of you out there may remember this performance. It was the country’s best result in between their two wins of 1998 and 2018, in which Maimon lit up the stage in Kyiv with her extraordinary talent. She was not the only great singer that year, however: “Angel” by Chiara also made it to this Top 100 list.
Vital Information: “HaSheket SheNish’ar”
| Song | HaSheket SheNish’ar |
| English Translation | The silence that remains |
| Performed By | Shiri Maimon |
| Written By | Pini Aaronbayev, Eyal Shahar, & Ben Green |
| Country | Israel |
| Year | 2005 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Hebrew & English |
| How It Fared | 4th Place (154 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Fair-ish |
What I Liked
As far as I am concerned, this was Israel’s best Eurovision performance in terms of raw ability, and they have won the contest four times – just none of them were this song. This was beautiful from beginning to end, and Shiri’s singing talent was obvious. In terms of both vocal quality and range, she nailed it.
This song had a bit of an early 90s vibe to it as well, which for me is a benefit, not a criticism. It was a great composition, well-written, and such a smooth piece of music to which to listen.
Other Facts
- When Shiri came in fourth place, it was the tenth time that Israel finished the contest in the top five. This was their best result since winning in 1998, and their last top-five finish until they won again in 2018.
- As of the 2024-25 Eurovision season, Maimon is still a judge on the show HaKokhav HaBa, which is Israel’s national selection competition. (Ntinos, 2024)
- Maimon herself won a competition show to become Israel’s representative in 2005. She competed on and claimed victory in Kdam Eurovision, which was the predecessor to the current national selection. (Larsson, 2020)
- Israel went 11th overall in the 2005 running order.
Watch “HaSheket SheNish’ar”
They put it on YouTube, just for you (and everyone else).
References
Larsson, S. (2020, August 18). Beyond Eurovision: Shiri Maimon. ESC Xtra. https://escxtra.com/2020/08/18/beyond-eurovision-shiri-maimon/
Ntinos, F. (2024, November 11). Israel: All the highlights from the first episode of HaKokhav Haba! Eurovision Fun. https://eurovisionfun.com/en/2024/11/israel-all-the-highlights-from-the-first-episode-of-hakokhav-haba/
