Israeli singer-songwriter Keren Peles, known for Israel’s last two Eurovision entries, has written a song for Greece’s national selection — potentially representing Greece at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.
Keren Peles, the Israeli singer-songwriter behind the songs “Hurricane” and “New Day Will Rise” — both of which represented Israel at Eurovision and became national sources of inspiration — has written a song for Greece’s Eurovision pre-selection. If Peles’ song wins the Greek national final, she could find herself at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, representing Greece under the blue and white flag of the Mediterranean neighbor.
Peles’ song was submitted to Greece’s national pre-selection, which is set to take place in February. The interesting collaboration began over the summer on our website. With cooperation from the Greek Eurovision news website Eurovisionfun, we connected Peles and the Greek team. The work on this project involves both Greek and Israeli creators. She is no stranger to Greece, as she owns a home on the island of Antiparos and spends considerable time there.
The participation of Israeli songwriters in European national selections and internal choices is nothing new. However, Keren Peles’ involvement in Greece’s selection — as one of the most recognized Israeli Eurovision figures in recent years — is expected to attract significant attention, and perhaps even protests from anti-Israel activists in Greece.
Relations between Greece and Israel in recent editions of the contest have swung between tension and friendship. In Eurovision 2024, controversy erupted over the yawning incident by Marina Satti, which drew public criticism from both fans and media. In contrast, Eurovision 2025 saw a renewed sense of camaraderie when Klavdia earned 12 points from the Israeli jury and 7 points from the Israeli televote. Peles’ new collaboration could further strengthen artistic ties between the two nations in the upcoming years.
Keren Peles’ Song
The song was already submitted to the Greek national broadcaster ERT, and it is performed by an intriguing Greek female artist. whose name we cannot reveal for now. The song is a powerful emotional ballad, and those who know Peles’ repertoire will immediately recognize that she is the one who wrote the song.
The song will contain lyrics in English and Greek, and the Greek part wasn’t written by Peles herself but by a famous Greek lyricist. If selected, it will be the first time in history that an Israeli songwriter is involved in Greece’s Eurovision entry.
Keren Peles’ Road to Eurovision 2026
Following last year’s successful revival of the open national selection — the first of its kind since 2003 — Greece’s broadcaster has decided to maintain the same format for 2026. This decision allows participation from artists not signed to Greek record labels, opening the door for creators like Keren Peles.
The 2026 selection will consist of three live shows: two semifinals and a grand final. A total of 28 songs will compete — 14 in each semifinal — with viewers alone deciding which seven songs from each semifinal advance to the final. The grand final will include 14 songs, with voting split evenly: 50% from the jury (divided between local and international panels) and 50% from the public televote, mirroring last year’s system.
The strong result achieved by Klavdia last year is expected to raise the bar for this year’s composers and performers. With Greece’s renewed motivation and a competitive lineup, Keren Peles will likely face tough competition on her path to potentially representing Greece at Eurovision 2026.
Greece at Eurovision 2025
“Asteromáta” (in English: “Eyes of Stars”) is the song performed by Klavdia, who represented Greece in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Greece qualified for the grand final after placing fourth in the second semi-final with 112 points. In the grand final, Greece finished in sixth place with 231 points, with both the juries and the public awarding her eighth place.
This sixth-place finish is considered Greece’s best result since 2013, when the country also ranked sixth.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
