Israel wins Eurovision Song Contest for fourth time
Singer wins with lively dance mix, singing 'Toy' with women's empowerment twist
Israel's singer Netta Barzilai wins Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon on Saturday (AFP)
Published date: 13 May 2018 19:11 BST
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Last update: 5 years 11 months ago
Israel's Netta Barzilai won the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon on Saturday, bringing Israel its fourth victory in the glitzy pageant, watched by more than 200 million people around the world, and the right to host the event next year.
"Next time in Jerusalem!" Barzilai, a smiling 25-year-old shouted after being named the winner. "I'm so happy! Thank you for accepting differences between us. Thank you for celebrating diversity!"
She won with a lively dance mix, singing Toy with a women's empowerment twist, beating Cypriot entry Eleni Foureira with her fiery Latin pop song Fuego.
Cyprus and Israel had been the bookmakers’ favourites going into the 63rd edition of the Eurovision contest, which was hosted in the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
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