TIMES OF ISRAEL
How Eden Alene became the 1st Israeli of Ethiopian descent bound for Eurovision
by Jessica Steinberg
February 7, 2020

A visibly emotional Eden Alene took the stage Tuesday for a final rendition of “Halo,” the Beyonce song that had just made her Israel’s contestant for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands. Onstage and surrounded by judges, presenters and other contestants, Alene, who clutched a small Israeli flag under her arm, wrapped her other arm around her mother, Zehava Varkanesh, as she hugged her tight…Alene’s win has been significant for Israel and its Ethiopian community, as she will be the first Israeli of Ethiopian descent to represent the Jewish state at Eurovision. READ MORE