Days before the grand finale of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2025“: Euromix team offers a special series on the final four contestants. This time: Why should Daniel Wais represent Israel in Eurovision 2025?

Daniel Waiss, aged 29, a standout contestant in “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2025,” could be the next representative for Israel in Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland on May 13, 15, and 17. His journey began early when he was called to replace his older brother at a public singing event in Kibbutz Be’eri on Israeli Independence Day. Despite performing for the first time in front of 1,500 people, he describes the experience as natural and right, as if everything had led him to that moment.

Daniel’s life journey has been anything but simple. He experienced horrors and survival in Kibutz Be’eri on October 7, escaping narrowly. During the incursion, each of his family members was in a different place; he lost contact with his parents at 10 a.m. His father, Shmulik, was murdered at home, and his mother, Yehudit, was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas. Her body was found a month later near the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

“It was at a moment of real life-threatening danger that I realized nobody could take the spirit inside me,” Daniel recalls the moments in the safe room, hearing the terrorists at his neighbors’ doors. This near-death experience was a turning point, prompting him to lead his life according to his heart and soul, not just logic and pre-laid plans. The murder of his parents left him with a need to find new meaning in life. “When I was told that my mother had been murdered, I understood that I needed to continue performing. It was my way of honoring their memory,” he explains how he continued to perform and sing during such a heavy period of mourning, finding deeper support and connection to music.

Daniel saw “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2025” as an opportunity to bring his voice and story to a wider audience. Each performance on the show was seen by him as a means to convey a message of hope and strength, connecting him with an audience that understands how the meaning of life can change in an instant. He views Eurovision not just as a singing competition but as a platform for expressing emotional independence and showcasing his creative talents: “Music allows me to heal myself and others, to convey experiences and to pass on a message of strength and resilience.” Each of his performances is dedicated to the personal journey he has undergone and the message he wants to convey: that it is possible to find light even in the darkest places.

In his first audition, Daniel chose to sing “Ani Gitara” (translated as: “I am a Guitar”), a song his father loved dearly. He stunned us from the first note with a high and clear voice, a precise singing that gently caresses the tender song with good dynamics. The performance was moving to tears and was the best performance of the evening. Daniel left all the judges moved and tearful, and with 97%, he moved on to the next stage.

Daniel continued to impress with moving and painful performances, and during the “Duets” stage, he sang “Hurricane,” originally performed by Eden Golan in Eurovision 2024, together with Valerie Hamaty. Before the song, Daniel spoke painfully about how his parents were recently buried in Be’eri after initially being buried in a temporary grave. Valerie described her excitement when she watched Daniel’s first audition and their combination, along with the touching song, resonated on social media even before the performance. They open the song with Valerie standing in front and Daniel behind her, switching places in the second verse. Both display excellent singing abilities, the song’s scale is very high, and they easily meet the challenge. The harmonies between them are perfect. The song contained everything needed to move the judges, and with 95%, they advanced to the next stage.

In the “Surprise Duet” stage, Daniel chose to sing “Uff Gozal” (translated as: “A Fledgling Bird”). Daniel did exactly what we have come to expect from him throughout the season, with his delicate and thrilling voice. Later, Miri Messika joins, lifting the arrangement further with her unique voice. Their combination pierces the heart and complements each other very well, as if they have been singing together for years. The performance was, again, moving to tears and earned Daniel a passage to the next stage.

In the “Duel” stage, he chose to sing “Rise Up,” originally performed by Andra Day, along with artists from the “Shophuni” project, a project that gives new artists from the Western Negev the opportunity to perform new materials. Daniel opened the performance with a thrilling, precise, and moving voice. The vocal breaks Daniel chose to perform showed exceptional vocal control.

Daniel’s performance at Eurovision needs to be invested and impressive, combining simple yet dramatic scenery and a group of dancers that complement the empowering song. If the song itself is in an electro-dance style with touches of darkness and a mysterious atmosphere, it will allow Daniel to use all his vocal capabilities—from deep and low tones to high and resounding sounds. The dancers can add movement and liveliness to the performance, without diverting attention from Daniel himself. The simple yet dramatic scenery will enhance the visual effect of the performance while maintaining the intimacy and personal power of the song. Everything can be integrated to create a profound and fascinating theatrical experience, making the audience feel as if they are part of Daniel’s personal and musical story.

Daniel sees Eurovision not only as a singing competition but as a stage for expressing emotional independence and showcasing his creative powers: “Music allows me to heal myself and others, to convey experiences and to pass on a message of strength and resilience.” Each of his performances is dedicated to the personal journey he has undergone and the message he wants to convey: that it is possible to find light even in the darkest places. Every time Daniel Weiss stands on stage, he feels he is giving a new chapter in his personal story. The international stage of Eurovision 2025 offers him an opportunity to expand his emotional and artistic echo to a global audience, bringing his Israeli and personal story to an audience outside the country’s borders. Daniel Wais needs to represent Israel at Eurovision 2025!

Hosts and Judges

Assi Azar and Rotem Sela will host the 11th season. As most of you probably remember, Assi Azar hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, which took place in Tel Aviv. The judging panel includes Assaf Amdursky, Ran Danker, Shiri Maimon, Keren Peles, Itay Levi, and Eden Hasson – all returning from last season, which crowned Eden Golan as the winner. The season expected to conclude in early February.

Collaboration Between ‘Kan’ and ‘Keshet’

On July 23rd, we revealed that the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) and the commercial TV Broadcaster ‘Keshet’ agreed to continue their collaboration for Eurovision 2025. The agreement allows for the continuation of the popular program “HaKokhav HaBa“, which will select Israel’s representative for the competition to be held in Switzerland. This will be the eighth time the two channels collaborate in selecting the Israeli representative for Eurovision.

Impressive Ratings and Past Success

The success of the program is also evident in its impressive viewing figures. The last season of “HaKokhav HaBa” was the most watched since 2019, with exposure to 3.3 million viewers on television alone. The broadcast of the Eurovision 2024 grand final also achieved impressive viewing figures, with 1.129 million television viewers – 36.8% viewing rate, and a 62.9% viewing share. At the peak of viewing, during Eden Golan‘s performance, 1.709 million viewers watched the broadcast, representing 53.6% of households in Israel.

Challenges and Expectations

Despite the success, the last Eurovision was not without challenges. The political and security tension following the war in the Gaza Strip was strongly felt behind the scenes of the competition. However, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation hopes that next year will pass more peacefully.

The decision to continue the collaboration with Keshet also stems from economic considerations, allowing the KAN to save on the heavy costs involved in preparing for the competition.

The continued collaboration between Kan and Keshet promises the continuation of a successful tradition of selecting Israel’s representatives for Eurovision. We can only hope that the chosen representative will continue Israel’s tradition of success at Eurovision.

Israel in Eurovision 2024

“Hurricane” is the name of the song performed by singer Eden Golan, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the tenth season of “HaKokhav Haba“. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 194 points, and in the grand final reached fifth place with 375 points. In the public vote, Israel came in second place, just 14 points behind the first place.

This is the second consecutive time that Israel has reached the top five, an achievement it had not attained since its streak of successes in 1998-1999.