Dana International and Miri Ben-Ari – making Israel proud

April 4, 2011 - 9:37 AM by David

Israeli entertainers are getting around. ISRAEL21c profiles the country’s favorite transsexual Dana International, basking in the glow of being chosen for the second time to represent the country at the annual Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Germany on May 14.

The last time she appeared in the contest, in 1998, she won with her song ‘Diva.’ This time she’s singing an equally frothy ‘Ding Dong,’ – chosen by TV viewers during a live homegrown competition held in February in Rishon Lezion.

Americans may not get it, but the Eurovision contest is huge, with millions of viewers worldwide, 43 countries participating, and enough garish outfits and outlandish musical arrangements to fill a dozen seasons of Dancing With the Stars.

But Dana isn’t the only Israeli to be up on the international stage. Hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari received a somewhat more cultured honor when last week she appeared at the White House as a guest of First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Israeli-born Grammy award who has performed with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, played a hip-hop version of the Star Spangled Banner at a special women’s mentoring event hosted by Obama in honor of Women’s History Month. The First Lady invited 22 “remarkable women” from the world of business, entertainment, politics and sports to inspire and mentor young students.

Ben-Ari dedicated her performance at the event to the war on racism. She also played “Symphony of Brotherhood,’ which features Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

According to Ynet, when Ben-Ari told Obama she was Israeli, the First Lady said she had already known that.

“Michelle Obama is a very warm and direct person. She told us she was ‘just Michelle’, spoke about her difficulties in life and said she was moved by the choices each and every one of us made,” said Ben-Ari.

“I’ve performed at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden and everywhere else. I thought I had done everything and fulfilled all my dreams, but it turned out I hadn’t.”

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