Performing as the opening entry for the show in position 1, Israel placed twenty-second out of the 24 participating countries, scoring 7 points.

[2] "Sameach" was written by group members Roy Arad and Guy Assif, and was chosen from 83 submissions by a special committee consisting of Irit Linur (radio entertainer and writer), Izhar Cohen (Eurovision Song Contest 1978 winner and 1985 Israeli Eurovision entrant), Amos Oren (journalist), Gal Uchovsky (journalist), Itzik Yehoshua (journalist), Amir Kaminer (journalist), Yoav Ginai (composer), Menashe Lev-Ran (musician), Svetlana Alecsandrov (IBA representative) and Adi Hadar (IBA representative).

Composer Avihu Medina expressed his disapproval on "Sameach" describing it as "a national disgrace", while committee member Yoav Ginai described it as "a nostalgic song with a crazy beat which makes you smile" and Irit Linur stated: "It is a very stupid song but I like it, and there's no need to search for a special meaning in it.

[6] An allocation draw was held which determined the running order and Israel was set to open the show and perform in position 1, before the entry from the Netherlands.

[7][8] At the end of the Israeli performance, the members of PingPong waved plastic flags of Israel and Syria.

PingPong's decision to wave Syrian flags on stage enraged the Israeli public and the IBA; the broadcaster earlier threatened the group that they would have to bear all travel expenses themselves if they insisted on the action.

[10] The Knesset's Education Committee held a meeting regarding the incident in the weeks after the contest, concluding that PingPong's participation was "a disgrace and a shame to the State of Israel, the Broadcasting Authority and Israeli culture" and that the group were "a band of crooks who misled us in an act of fraud."