Gali Atari

Biography

Gali Atari (born 1953 in Rehovot, to a Yemenite-Jewish family) is one of the defining voices of Israeli pop.

She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 together with Milk & Honey and the song 'Hallelujah' — a song that became a worldwide hit and an Israeli anthem in its own right.

'Ein Li Eretz Acheret' (1986), from the album 'Emtza September', was written for her by Ehud Manor with music by Corinne Allal. Manor later said he wrote it in memory of his younger brother Yehuda, killed in the War of Attrition.

The song is sung in Israel both as a patriotic anthem and as a song of protest — 'I will not be silent' — which is exactly what Manor intended: love and criticism in the same breath.

Corinne Allal's own recording of the song became just as famous, and the song is regularly voted among the greatest Israeli songs of all time.

Quick facts

Born

Rehovot, 1953 — Yemenite family

Eurovision

Winner 1979, 'Hallelujah' (Milk & Honey)

This song

1986 — lyrics Ehud Manor, music Corinne Allal

Background

Written in memory of Manor's brother, killed in the War of Attrition

Legacy

Both an anthem and a protest song

Songs by Gali Atari with Hebrew lyrics

• Ein Li Eretz AcheretI Have No Other Country · 1986

Culture quiz: Gali Atari & Israel

Test what you know about Gali Atari, the song's Hebrew words and Israeli culture.