Shalva band sings in Independance Day celebrations

The Shalva Band, which dropped its widely supported bid to represent Israel at Eurovision 2019 after organizers refused to budge on the group’s request not to perform on Shabbat, performs as the first artists at the state Independence Day ceremony in Jerusalem.

The Shalva Band performs during the main rehearsal of the 71st anniversary Independence Day ceremony, held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, on April 6, 2019. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

The band — made up of musicians with disabilities, some of whom are observant Jews — had been named as a finalist on the reality TV show “Rising Star,” which determines Israel’s entry for the annual song contest, to be held later this month in Tel Aviv.

Israel had unsuccessfully tried to persuade the European Broadcasting Union to bend the rules to allow the band to compete without performing on Shabbat.