TEL AVIV — Israelis flocked to Rabin Square in central Tel Aviv in the wee hours of the morning to celebrate the country’s victory in Saturday’s Eurovision song contest where singer Netta Barzilai took first place.
This reporter arrived at Rabin Square at about 2 a.m. local time – about thirty minutes after the end of the competition – with the streets filling up as Israelis streamed to the gathering place.
At 3 in the morning, thousands were still there, dancing and singing to celebrate the first time Israel won Eurovision since 1998.
The festive mood follows a tense week in which Iranian forces in Syria fired rockets at northern Israel, and the Israel Defense Forces retaliated by carrying out a massive bombing campaign against Iran-run military bases and installations in Syria.
There were reports of impromptu street celebrations in multiple Israeli cities, including Jerusalem and Haifa.
Barzilai’s win means Jerusalem will host the international song contest next year. Her victory came one day before Israel commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel’s reunification of its capital city. On that day in 1967, Israel took eastern Jerusalem from illegal Jordanian occupation, including the ancient Old City, which houses historic Jewish neighborhoods and Judaism’s holiest site the Temple Mount
In a televised conversation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Barzilai on the phone, telling her “You are wonderful. You are lovely… You are the best ambassador for Israel.”
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.