As a point of comparison, Kobi Marimi, Israel’s 2019 contestant, came in 23rd in the finals, with 35 points.
Just as she did in the semifinals on Tuesday night, Alene pulled off a polished, flawless performance of “Set Me Free,” which she sang with charm, personality and high energy, and once again she managed to hit the highest note ever sung at Eurovision, the B6 whistle.
She posted an emotional video clip on Instagram, saying, “True, I got to 17th place and I was not in the top 10, and that’s a letdown. I’m definitely embarrassed. Israel, you are amazing. The amount of love I have received lately has been so insane, I want to say thank you, you are the ones who are important to me and no one else. Thank you very much, you are amazing, you are the best... I love you so much no matter what happens in the country, no matter what the rest of the world will say, we are the strongest... we are the best, because we are Israelis and we are proud of it.”
She received great affection from fans around the world, including an encouraging message from President Reuven Rivlin. And while a 17th-place finish is not what she would have hoped for, millions around the world are enjoying her music. By Sunday, a YouTube clip of her Eurovision semifinals performance of “Set Me Free” had over two million views, while a clip of “Feker Libi,” the song she was set to sing in 2020 had more than three million views.
She also thanked her team and acknowledged the difficulties she faced during the past year.
“I am grateful for the huge privilege that has fallen to me to represent the State of Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the difficult times and the complex period the country is going through, the pressures, thoughts, tensions and moments of happiness, it was a once in a lifetime experience for me. I feel like I gave my whole heart and soul here on stage, and together with the wonderful team of dancers gave everything to bring respect to the country. I thank the people of Israel for supporting, embracing, strengthening and celebrating, and all the great staff who have accompanied me throughout the last two years up to this moment. All your hard work and investment is not self-evident. Thank you all.”
AFTER THE winner was announced, social media lit up with a video clip in which Måneskin’s frontman Damiano David appeared to sniff something off the table he was sitting behind, just before his group’s victory was announced, presumably a line of cocaine. Some called for the prize to be taken away from the group due to his assumed drug use. David said, “I do not use drugs” and insisted that a glass had fallen and broken and that he was picking it up.
Israeli television presenter Lucy Ayoub announced that Switzerland, one of the favorites, received the 12 points of the Israeli jury.
Some fans worried that Alene would not even make it into the final as a result of backlash against Israel because of the war with Gaza that just ended in a ceasefire on Friday. However, she drew cheers from the crowd of 3,500 in the auditorium, smaller than usual due to the pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the 2020 song contest. The previous contest was held in Tel Aviv in 2019, following Netta Barzilai’s win in 2018. Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands, the 2019 winner, just tested positive for COVID-19 and was not able to perform live at the finals. But he sang his new song, “Stars,” in a prerecorded video clip.
On May 19, a member of the Icelandic group Daði og Gagnamagnið, which was among the favorites, tested positive for COVID-19. Although the rest of the group tested negative, they decided not to perform live without the infected performer. The group was voted through to the finals, even though they did not perform in the semis and their song “10 Years” was shown in their rehearsal performance clip in the finals.
One of the highlights of the broadcast was former winners from past years performing live on rooftops all over Rotterdam.
Alene kept her cool during the long year of waiting for the 2021 Eurovision to take place, performing on her balcony, recording more songs and making commercials. She received death threats and calls that she be kicked out of the contest from protesters during the last week due to the political situation, and faced it all with poise. It is possible to speculate that she would have received a higher score were it not for the conflict with Gaza, but she certainly proved she is an international star and will be welcomed home with open arms from an Israeli public she made proud.