Israel: Everything That Happened in the Tenth Episode of HaKokhav Haba!

The tenth episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition), the talent show through which Israel selects its Eurovision 2025 representative, aired on the evening of Monday, December 2.

In this episode, six auditions were featured, with five contestants advancing to the next round to continue competing for a spot in Basel. The hosts of HaKokhav Haba are Assi Azar and Rotem Sela, who have held this role since 2014, while the judging panel includes Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar, and Keren Peles.

Contestants and Their Performances

Oral Dehari
Oral Dehari, 21, made his debut as a singer on stage. He performed “Center of Tel Aviv” by Itai Levy, impressing with his vocal abilities but failing to win over the entire panel. He narrowly advanced to the next round with 70%.

Harel Koresh
Harel Koresh, 25, from Rehovot, is a music student and a singer in the religious wedding band Orot High. His dream is to release his own music. He sang “Yom Rodef Yom” by Shmulik Kraus, beginning his performance at the piano. His soft and emotional voice drew mixed reactions, with Shiri voting against him, stating: “You’re an excellent singer and musician, but for me, it didn’t resonate. I want to see what’s next.” He advanced with 81%.

Avihai Malka
Avihai Malka, 25, from Kiryat Gat, works in a logistics warehouse after serving in a military band. Despite his parents believing his sister was the family’s singer, he has been singing from a young age. He performed “Nights and Curses” by Omar Adam with a soft and poignant voice that grew stronger throughout the song. He received 74%, narrowly making it to the next phase.

Lia Gerber
Seventeen-year-old Lia Gerber from Kfar Saba is a high school music student and a band soloist. Born in Italy, she lived in the U.S. for six years before returning to Israel. She sang “Cuz I Love You” by Leah but exhibited some vocal instability. Despite receiving 70% and advancing, Assaf Amdorsky and Keren Peles voted against her.

Benny Elbaz
At 64, Benny Elbaz is a renowned Israeli singer who started his career in the 1980s. He performed “Mon amour” by Slimane, offering a unique interpretation with his deep and captivating voice. He advanced with 78%, despite Assaf Amdorsky voting against him.

HaKokhav Haba will continue with more auditions in the next episode. Since 2015, the show has helped Israel qualify for the Eurovision final every year until 2020. In 2018, Netta won the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Toy.”

Last year’s HaKokhav Haba winner and Israel’s Eurovision 2024 representative, Eden Golan, finished fifth in the final with her song “Hurricane.”

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest updates!

Source: euromix.il