Israel: All the highlights from the fourth episode of HaKokhav Haba!

The fourth episode of the highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025, HaKokhav Haba, aired last night. This competition, known in English as “The Next Star”, is the format used by Israel to choose its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Since its debut in 2015, HaKokhav Haba has been the main selection method for Israel, excluding the years 2022 and 2023. The show has achieved significant success, notably securing Israel’s Eurovision victory with Netta in 2018.

Though filming for this season began on October 10 at Neve Ilan Studios, on November 10 the official broadcast commenced on Israeli television.

The Format

In the “HaKokhav Haba” format, each contestant performs a song, with the aim of securing at least a 70% approval rating. This score is determined by a combination of live audience votes from those attending the studio and a jury panel’s vote. Each member of the jury can contribute a maximum of 10% to the contestant’s total score.

Hosts and Judging Panel

Returning to host the show are Rotem Sela and Assi Azar. Azar has been involved with HaKokhav Haba since its inaugural edition in 2013 and previously hosted the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Sela joined as a host in the second season and has been a presenter ever since.

The judging panel for this season includes a diverse group of music industry veterans:

• Assaf Amdursky
• Keren Peles
• Shiri Maimon
• Eden Hason
• Ran Danker
• Itay Levi

With their combined experience, the panel ensures a high level of competition, which promises to be even more intense than last season’s edition.

Contestants and Their Performances

In tonight’s episode, five contestants took the stage, and four of them advanced to the next stage of the competition. Here’s a look at some of the standout performances:

• Dolev Mendelbaum (16): Originally from Texas, USA, Dolev returned to Israel ten years ago and has been inspired by pop music ever since. Tonight, he performed “Jealous” by Labrinth, earning an 85% score from the judges. While his performance received unanimous support from the panel, it didn’t quite capture the audience’s attention in the studio.
• Esther Guedj (27): After returning to Israel earlier this year from France, Esther chose to sing “Voila”, the French entry in Eurovision 2021 by Barbara Pravi. Although she struggled with some of the higher notes and seemed to mimic Pravi’s style, Esther still impressed the judges with her performance, earning a solid 86% score. However, Assaf Amdursky did not vote for her.
• Nir Abdu (20): A professional singer who regularly performs at weddings and events, Nir performed “Nishba” by Haim Moshe, a well-known song in Israel with a Mediterranean flair. While his performance left mixed feelings among the judges, Nir received an 80% score. Once again, Assaf Amdursky chose not to vote for him.
• Yuval Raphael: A survivor of the Nova festival on October 7, Yuval dedicated her emotional performance of “Anyone” by Demi Lovato to mental health issues, stemming from her own life-threatening experience. Despite not having professional performance experience, Yuval captivated the judges with her raw emotion, receiving the highest score of the season so far – an impressive 98%. Many are now speculating that Yuval could be Eden Golan’s successor.

The winner of HaKokhav Haba and therefore Israel’s representative in Eurovision 2024 was Eden Golan. Eden Golan performed her song “Hurricane“, finishing fifth overall.