It’s 1970 and it’s All Kinds of Nothing in Derry but for a schoolgirl with a voice and a special baby in Israel it’s All Kinds of Everything.
Our Derry girl is Dana Rosemary Scanlon who will win the Eurovision Song Contest with a ditty of that title.
The other is born Yaron Cohen in Tel Aviv just months earlier, named after an uncle who had died in a terrorist attack.
We know her today as Dana International who later feminised the name of a childhood friend Daniel who died in a car crash.
Of course with the stage name Dana (she changed her legal name to Sharon) she was destined to win Eurovision.
She duly achieved that in 1998 with her anthem Diva a true watermark for Eurovision, popular culture and Israel.
Fast forward to today and Tel Aviv is again the focus of our attentions for Pride month.
As one of the first mass parades worldwide hit the streets.
All reward for their high vaccination rates and lifting of restrictions.
The Tel Aviv Pride Parade has been running each June since 1998, Dana International’s Annus Mirabilis.
The fun started on Bograshov Beach at midday before the party trucks and DJs floated down the prom.
And finished at Charles Clore Park with a huge party by the Med.
Where acts banged out the music on the two main stages.
All encouraging in its own rights.
But also for those of us who are hanging on every piece of encouragement from the land where The Good News was first shared.
Over to Sharon then, Sharon Bershadsky, Director of the Israel Tourist Office UK for an update.
‘As the country starts to reopen and with Israel now on the Green Watchlist in the UK we can’t wait to hopefully welcome back tourists as soon as possible.
‘To explore all the wonderful offerings we have for the LGBTQ community and beyond.’
And ‘beyond’ obviously means taking in the modern and historical which make up The Land of Milk and Honey.
And specifically to get on board Israel’s campaign Two Cities, One Break, the two cities being Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Shalom Sharon and… Israel it’s All Kinds of Everything.
MEET YOU ON PARADE
‘