Relieved Ben David off to Eurovision
Israel’s participation in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest was confirmed on Sunday as singer Michael Ben David and his entourage flew to Turin, Italy, the venue for this year’s event.
Eurovision will open on May 10 and the final will take place on May 14. Ben David will perform the song “I.M,” in the semifinal on May 12 and if it is one of the 10 that makes the cut, he will also perform in the final.
Radiating joy, Ben David and his dancers showed off their moves at the airport and took video of signs at the airport wishing him luck, even filming the delegation taking their seats on the plane.
Ben David spent most of the pandemic working in a grocery store to make ends meet until
he was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision, and as he stood up in the plane, he looked as if he could not quite believe he was really heading for Italy.
Ben David, who has spoken about the very personal meaning of “I.M,” his self-empowerment
anthem, explained that he was bullied in school for being gay, and was afraid he might not make it to Turin, even after he won The X Factor, the contest to determine a Eurovision representative, in February.
First, sources close to Ben
David told Ynet and other news outlets that he was thinking of dropping out because KAN, the government broadcaster, was not providing him with the support he needed. He expressed “dissatisfaction with the professional conduct,” of the network, saying he would quit if he felt that he could not represent Israel “with dignity.”
This crisis passed, but last month, KAN tweeted that a Foreign Ministry strike affecting security protocols would prevent Israel’s participation.
In a theatrical touch, the network posted an Instagram story showing Ben David singing, “Sometimes life gets you down.” But Channel 12 News reported on April 28 that Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) had figured out a way to provide adequate security for Ben David and Israel’s whole Eurovision delegation.