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

On Sunday evening, December 9th, the twelfth episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition) aired. This talent show will determine the artist who will represent Israel at Eurovision 2025. The show continues to raise expectations as more contestants compete for the golden ticket to Basel.

In the twelfth episode, six auditions took place, with four contestants advancing to the next stage, preparing for their journey toward Eurovision. Hosts Assi Azar and Rotem Sela guided the audience through the show, while the judges—Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar, and Keren Peles—evaluated performances with strict professionalism and fairness.

Contestants and Their Performances:

Agam David Chai (91%)
Agam, 18.5 years old from Menes Ziona, performed “As the World Caves In” for the first time in front of an audience. Despite her lack of experience, her clarity and emotional delivery left a strong impression. Her confidence grew after the first chorus, culminating in a powerful ending. All judges voted positively, and Agam advanced with an impressive 91%.

Ben Gannon (80%)
Ben, a 28-year-old from Haifa, delivered an emotional rendition of “Vat.” With his soft and deep voice, he brought a unique musical interpretation to the song. However, there was some disagreement among the judges, with Ran voting against his artistic approach. Despite the critique, Ben secured 80% and moved to the next phase.

Ran Peretz (81%)
Ran, a 24-year-old from Rehovot, sang “The Ballad of Waiting.” Although his performance began with inaccuracies due to nervousness, it improved significantly as he gained confidence. The judges appreciated his emotional depth, but the audience was less impressed. He advanced with 81%, thanks to the judges’ support.

Ofir Levy (82%)
Ofir, 24, from Kibbutz Ramat Yochanan, performed “Baby the Next Song Is Dedicated to You.” Her performance was emotionally precise, but some judges, like Assaf Amdorsky, felt it lacked personal identity. Despite the critique, Ofir received enough positive votes to progress with 82%.

Roni Giorno (90%)
Roni, 28, from Ashdod, performed “Mon Amour” with a unique raspy voice and deep emotional connection. His interpretation resonated with the judges, who praised his vocal delivery. With unanimous support from the judges, Roni advanced with an impressive 90%.

HaKokhav Haba continues with more auditions in the next episode. This show has been Israel’s pathway to Eurovision success, securing a place in the grand final every year from 2015 to 2020. Notably, in 2018, Netta won Eurovision with her song “Toy.”

Last year’s winner, Eden Golan, represented Israel at Eurovision 2024 with her song “Hurricane,” finishing in fifth place.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all updates!

Source: Euromix.il