Last week, RTV Slovenia’s coucnil meeting took place between December 9 and 11. Among the topics discussed, was of course the country’s participation in Eurovision 2025, as well as Israel’s participation, in question with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Read more
On Tuesday night, December 11, the fourteenth episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition), the talent show that will determine the artist who will represent Israel at Eurovision 2025, was broadcast. The show continues with raised expectations and even more contestants vying for a ticket to Basel.
Six auditions were broadcast during the programme, with five more contestants making it through the first audition stage and moving on to the next stage with the support of the judges and the studio audience. And from the fourteen audition episodes, a total of 67 contestants made it through to the next stage – one of them will be the Israeli representative for the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Basel, Switzerland in May.
The presenters, Assi Azar and Rotem Sela, once again guided the audience, while the jury, consisting of Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar and Keren Peles, continued to evaluate with rigour and impartiality.
From the next episode, the program moves on to the next phase, one step closer to the winner, as the fourteenth episode marked the end of the auditions.
David, a-28-year-old from Tel Aviv, sang ” Nights and Curses ” (originally by Omar Adam ) in the audition. He has a deep, sweeping and rich voice and obvious stage experience. He managed to convince both the audience and the judges except for Ran, who voted against and so David went through to the next stage with 80%.
Achinoam, a 16-year-old girl from Jerusalem, performed “Hey Tom” (originally by Diana Golby). Despite her young age, her voice has a lot of depth, colour and drama. Assaf voted negatively, commenting on the contrast between her age and the depth of her voice as being out of place, and so Achinoam went through to the next stage with 82%.
Lial, a 29-year-old from Jerusalem, appeared on stage with the song ” Words I would only say to you ” (originally by Yam Rafaeli). Through her soft voice she showed impressive vocal range, although she struggled a bit in stage presence. Assaf and Shiri voted against her effort, but she managed to pass with 74%.
Daniel, a 35-year-old, is originally from Tel Aviv. His voice was quite interesting and managed to move and touch the audience. He made it to the next round with 78%, as he was outvoted by Itay.
Avihai, a 21-year-old, chose to sing in the audition the song “כתבתי מילים” (originally by Par Tessi ). He impressed with his skills and managed to move the judges, who all voted in his favour. As a result, he went through to the next stage with 91%.
HaKokhav Haba continues and now moves on to the next phase of the competition. Through HaKokhav HaBa, Israel managed to qualify for the final of our beloved contest every year from 2015 to 2020, and in 2018 Netta was also the winner of Eurovision with the song “Toy“.
Last year’s HaKokhav Haba winner and by extension the country’s representative at Eurovision 2024 was Eden Golan. Eden Golan with her song “Hurricane”, finished in fifth place in the final ranking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K60BWlEhtAA
Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all updates!
Source: euromix.il
On Monday evening, December 10th, the thirteenth 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.
Six auditions were broadcast during the programme, with five more contestants making it through the first audition stage and moving on to the next stage with the support of the judges and the studio audience. 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.
In all thirteen episodes so far, 62 contestants have already progressed to the next stage – one of them may be the Israeli representative for Eurovision, which will be held in May in Basel.
Ilai Avidani (85%)
Ilai, a 22-years-old from Jerusalem, chose to sing ” Amsterdam ” (originally by Hanan Ben Ari) at the audition. Iliai had a clear voice and his years of experience on stages is evident, but Assaf Amdorsky, mentioned that he was not attracted by the stage presence, something very important for Eurovision. Despite Assaf Amdorsky’s disagreement, the rest of the judges supported him, and he qualified with 85%.
Sial Zaytoona (76%)
Sial, a 16-year-old from Jaffa, sang ” Stone Cold ” (originally by Demi Lovato ). The performance was somewhat inaccurate, especially on some of the lower notes, however the singer managed to control her voice well and move the crowd with the message of the song. Out of the judges, only Assaf voted against her effort and thus she scored 76% and qualified for the next stage.
Jordan Azoulay (71%)
Jordan, 31 years old from Parade, performed the song ” Where were you? ” With an impressive voice, he managed to wow the audience and the judges except Ran, who voted him down and so he went through to the next stage with 71%.
Ohav Givatti (74%)
Ohav, a 29-year-old, originally from the Jezreel Valley, performed an original song entitled “They are talking about me” from his latest album. He came on stage with great confidence and a presence that cannot be ignored. Only Ran voted against his effort, but he managed to get through to the next stage with 74%.
Corinne Gamliel (93%)
Corinne is 20 years old, from Kiryat Ekron, and she managed to impress and emotionally charge both the audience and the judges, who all voted in her favour and brought her through to the next stage with 93%.
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
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.
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
The eleventh episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition) aired on Saturday night, December 7th. This talent show is where Israel will select the artist to represent the country at Eurovision 2025.
In the latest episode, six auditions were featured, with five of them advancing to the next stage, continuing their pursuit of a spot in Basel. The hosts of HaKokhav Haba are Assi Azar and Rotem Sela, who have been presenting the show since 2014. The panel of judges includes Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar, and Keren Peles.
Hodia Tarkin
Performed “Banadam” with a lovely vocal performance, although the intensity was lacking in the chorus. Despite comments from the judges about her inexperience, she managed to score 83%.
Leshem Sharvit
Sang “Homeland”, dedicating the song to his hometown. He impressed the judges with precision and emotion, scoring 84%.
Hadas Cohen
After facing vocal cord issues, she performed “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You”. Her unique voice earned her 84%.
Haley Meshaib
Chose a vocally demanding song, though she struggled at times with the vocals. Despite this, her technical skills were praised. She advanced with a score of 70%.
Ron Bohnik
Performed his original song “Transparent”, captivating the judges with a minimalist and emotional performance, accompanied by a guitar. He achieved the highest score of the night, 95%.
HaKokhav Haba will continue with more auditions in the next episode. Over the years, the show has helped Israel secure a spot in the Eurovision final each year from 2015 to 2020. In 2018, Netta won the Eurovision with her song “Toy”.
The winner of HaKokhav Haba 2023, Eden Golan, represented Israel at Eurovision 2024 with “Hurricane” and finished in fifth place.
Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for more updates!
Source: euromix.il
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.
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
The eighth episode of the highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025, HaKokhav Haba, aired tonight. 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.
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:
With their combined experience, the panel ensures a high level of competition, which promises to be even more intense than last season’s edition.
In tonight’s episode, six more contestants took the stage, and five of them advanced to the next stage of the competition. Here’s a look at some of the standout performances:
The 17-year-old Noah Feynman hails from Rishon LeZion. She says she has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. Coming from a musical family, her father, Uri Feinman, participated in Israel’s national selection for Eurovision in 1991 and 1992. Noah performed “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence, dividing the judges. While Assaf Amdursky and Ran Danker voted against her, Noah advanced to the next round with a score of 72%.
The 26-year-old from Alcana is a violinist. He performed “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato, starting softly on the piano but reaching impressive vocal heights. By the end, all the judges voted in favor, and Ido advanced to the next round with a remarkable 91%.
Shira, 26, from Jerusalem, performed “Don’t Be Afraid at All” by Ninet Tayeb. She showcased a steady voice and great confidence. Although Shira failed to raise the wall, Essi Rotem pressed the “SAVE” button, giving her a ticket to the next round after initially receiving 64% of the votes.
The 24-year-old from Jerusalem is a vocal coach and singer. Passionate about music from a young age, Roy aspires to make people dance with his tunes. He chose to sing “Cosmic Girl” by Jamiroquai. While the song didn’t immediately captivate the audience, he secured a spot in the next round with 87% and unanimous support from the judges.
Hamsa is a band from Israel that enjoyed success from 2000 to 2004. They previously attempted to reach the Eurovision stage, participating in the national final in 2001. After disbanding in 2004, they reunited with a new single and are ready to compete for the country’s representation. Performing “Rakdi” by Yishai Levy, they displayed strong on-stage chemistry. Despite Assaf voting against them, the band advanced to the next round with 74%.
The next episode of HaKokhav Haba will be broadcast tonight.
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.
Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Israeli participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel!
Source: euromix.co.il
The third episode of HaKokhav Haba (special edition), the talent show that will determine the artist representing Israel at Eurovision 2025, aired on Sunday night, November 17.
In this episode, we witnessed five auditions, with only four contestants advancing to the next round, continuing their quest for a ticket to Basel. Hosts of HaKokhav Haba are Assi Azar and Rotem Sela, who have held this role since 2014. The judging panel consists of Shiri Maimon, Itay Levy, Assaf Amdorsky, Eden Hasson, Ran Dankar, and Keren Peles.
At 25 years old, Aviad Klein has already composed songs for Eden Meiri, Yasmin Moalem, ShrekDiMC, and others. This marks his first appearance on stage as a singer. He performed Adele’s “When We Were Young,” showcasing impressive vocal abilities, earning an outstanding score of 96%.
Amit Sade, a 23-year-old sales assistant, chose to sing “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara. Her rare voice resembles that of international pop-soul stars, garnering unanimous approval from the judges. Amit advanced to the next stage with a score of 96%.
Tamir Vaknin revealed that he had a troubled youth, struggling with anger issues and spending time in rehabilitation institutions. With experience performing on small stages such as nightclubs and parties, Tamir sang “Eir Nemal” by Eyal Golan. He scored 81% and progressed to the next round, although Assaf Amdorsky voted against him.
The Red Band is an Israeli puppet performance group founded in 2005 by Ari Pepper, Micah Doman, and Ami Weisel, blending unique music with comedy. Featuring puppet characters like Red Auerbach (vocals), Poncho (guitar), and Lefty (keyboards), the group has toured both nationally and internationally, performing rock and folk song covers.
They were joined by Moran Aharoni, a singer-songwriter who rose to prominence on the fourth season of Kohav Nold. He later participated in The Next Star for Eurovision 2020, reaching the semifinals. Known for his wide vocal range, Moran brings drama to their act, while Red Band adds rock and comedy. Together, they performed “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man, scoring 82%. Despite advancing, they received a negative vote from Assaf Amdorsky.
The show continues with more auditions in the upcoming episodes. From 2015 to 2020, HaKokhav Haba successfully secured Israel’s spot in Eurovision’s grand final every year, with Netta winning the competition in 2018 with her song “Toy.”
Last year’s winner of HaKokhav Haba and Israel’s Eurovision 2024 representative, Eden Golan, placed fifth in the final rankings with her song “Hurricane.”
The highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025 conitnued tonight with the second episode of HaKokhav Haba 2025. This competition, known in English as “The Next Star”, is the format used by Israel to choose its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.
In an unusual move, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is responding to the Public Broadcasting Bill, which threatens KAN’s independence, potentially leading to Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), responsible for the Eurovision Song Contest, has come out against a proposed bill that threatens to put Israel Public Broadcasting’s budget under state control. This move would effectively give the government the ability to step in and cut the company’s budget when it is not satisfied, which is currently impossible due to the company’s independence from government influence.
In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) commented:
“We are deeply concerned about the proposed legislation from the Israeli government that would allow them to change or cancel items in the public broadcaster’s budget, putting at risk the editorial and financial independence of public media. This development could be interpreted as an attempt by the Israeli government to exert greater direct control over KAN.”
The EBU calls for an immediate end to attempts by politicians to interfere with the company’s budget. Israel Public Radio commented in turn:
“The proposed bill is another attempt to harm the independence and existence of the public broadcasting corporation.”
The bill was introduced by Avihai Boaron of the Likud party. The explanatory notes to the proposal state:
“The State of Israel is in the midst of the Swords of Iron war. In January 2024, the Governor of the Bank of Israel issued a press release stating that the total war expenses for 2023 to 2025 are expected to amount to about 220 billion new shekels. The government approved across-the-board cuts in all government ministry budgets to meet the commitments required due to the war.”
Despite this explanation, it’s hard not to take the company’s and the EBU’s statements into account. Communications Minister Shlomo Kar’i also opposes the company’s existence, at least in its current structure. He had previously stated:
“There is no place for public broadcasting that enjoys a public budget and harms competition.”
If the independence of the public broadcaster is at stake, this situation could also jeopardize Israel’s ability to send an entry to Eurovision. If the government’s planned reform passes, Israel will stop sending an entry to the Eurovision contest like Russia, whose TV network independence was compromised, leading to its expulsion from the European Broadcasting Union.
Source: Euromix
Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!
Follow us on all our social media, so that you’ll not lose a thing of what’s happening Eurovision:
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
