“HaKokhav HaBa” – Episode 2: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Tair Adanek, Shira Zloof, Shaked Solomon, Shaia Avitan, and Noam Bettan
“HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026 – Continuing the journey to choose the Israeli representative! The new season of HaKokhav HaBa continued today with the second episode of auditions. The episode opened with a review of the contestants who passed the auditions in the first episode that aired on Tuesday.
Tair Adanek
A 16 and a half years old from Kiryat Gat, the younger sister of singer Ofek Adanak, who competed on the show in the past. She sang the song “If I Ain’t Got You“ (originally by Alicia Keys). Tair sang with remarkable confidence, plenty of personal charm, and impressive vocal control. Her performance shows that star quality, at least in this case, runs in the family.
Asaf said:
“We’re talking about a singer with amazing control, ease, and grace. It’s very impressive. you’ve got it all”.
Shiri added:
“Overflowing confidence”.
Itay concluded:
“Simply phenomenal”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Tair received 94% of the votes and advanced to the next stage.
Shira Zloof
A 24 years old from Tel Aviv, a former fencer who represented Israel at World and European Championships. She competed in Season 5 of The Voice on Nasrin Kadri’s team and finished in ninth place. She performed her original song “A Knight on a White Horse in the Middle of Florentin”. The song is sincere and full of humor, and Shira manages to convey lightness while showcasing her talent both as a songwriter and performer.
Shiri said:
“I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. You’re a thrilling, wonderful singer – so perfect it’s hard to grasp – because you’re different. I’ve been sitting here for years, and I don’t recall anyone as good as you”.
Keren added:
“I think you could absolutely shine at Eurovision. This is will be a brilliant choice”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Shira received 90% of the votes and advanced to the next stage.
Shaked Solomon
Shaked Solomon, an 18 years old from Rosh HaAyin, works as a shift manager in a supermarket and performs at events. He said his favorite singers are Eden Hason, Itay Levi, and Osher Cohen. He sang the song “Mi Tirtzi“ by Gidi Gov. Shaked has a gentle and unique stage presence. He gave the song a style reminiscent of Amir Benayoun or even Ofer Levy, taking it far from the original – and earning high praise for it.
Asaf commented:
“It’s impossible to resist your charm. You have a natural talent. You gave an artistic performance, and I can’t believe you’re only 18. Where will this go from here?”
Shiri added:
“Whatever you do, you do it well. You have incredible charm and a wonderful smile”.
Keren concluded:
“You have an anti-hero quality. There’s shyness and humility in you – that’s a real strength. I hope we can bring someone like you to Eurovision, because there’s no one else like you”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Shaked received 90% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
Shaia Avitan
A 28 years old from Herzliya. She has lived abroad for the past eight years, the last two in Australia. She performed the song “Listen” (originally by Beyoncé). Shaia’s performance, like the original, began gently and then built up powerfully, showcasing her impressive vocal ability.
Itay said:
“I heard your pain, your soul – I heard everything. I just love you. You’re simply perfect”.
Eden added:
“It’s no secret you’re an incredible singer, but it was a bit shouty. You’ve got a special tone”.
Shiri noted:
“For a first audition, this is a blast, but going forward, you need to find your true voice”.
Asaf concluded:
“I liked the moments when you hit the high notes – it was a little raspy, a little rock and roll. You’re the real deal”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Shaia received 92% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
Moriel Harush
A 22 years old from Jaffa who served in a military band. Her father was a singer, Itzik Harush, who passed away from diabetes seven years ago. She grew up listening to Avi Bitter and Ofer Levy. She sang “Ahuvati Kvar Lo Ro’a Oti” (originally by Omer Adam). Moriel changed the lyrics to make the song from a woman’s to a man’s perspective and showed impressive vocal strength.
Dana International and her manager, Shay Kerem, joined as guest judges for this performance.
Dana said:
“You gave the performance of your life, and the score doesn’t matter”.
Shiri noted:
“I couldn’t quite understand you fully. the higher you went, the less stable it became”.
Shai and Dana, Eden, Itay, Shiri, and Keren voted in her favor, Asaf voted against. Moriel received 69% of the votes and did not advance to the next round.
Noam Bettan
A 27 years old singer, the son of a family that immigrated from France. He previously participated in the show “Aviv or Eyal” and finished in third place. He performed his original song “Madame”. Noam sang the ballad with a warm, emotional voice and reached beautiful falsetto notes in the chorus. The hype is well-deserved. Noam will likely go far this season.
Keren said:
“You’re an insane performer, you’re just wow. You’re amazing”.
Eden added:
“You’re one of the contestants marked for the final from the early beggining. It was so precise – everything worked perfectly for me. You have everything it takes to represent us at Eurovision”.
Asaf concluded:
“I think you have all the qualities – lots of experience, lots of confidence. As the season goes on, we’ll need to hear you sing songs you haven’t sang yet. You have a very beautiful and unique voice”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Noam received 98% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
“HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision
Ahead of Eurovision 2026, the Israeli national broadcaster decided to continue its collaboration with Keshet 12 in selecting the next Israeli representative for the contest. This partnership between the broadcaster and Keshet has brought Israel seven consecutive qualifications to the Grand Final, highlighted by Netta Barzilai’s victory with the song “Toy”, which brought Eurovision to Israel.
We’ll be here throughout the entire season, reporting on all the latest news, updates, and predictions – stay tuned!
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Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 357 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
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A writer and content creator in the field of Eurovision, a commentator with extensive expertise in the modern era of the contest. Adiel’s vast knowledge and familiarity with Eurovision are reflected in every article, ensuring professional and up-to-date content. He closely follows song releases and various Eurovision pre-events. Adiel has a fondness for cultures and new languages, which he discovered through his love of Eurovision. In his writing, he places great emphasis on professional commentary and a diversity of opinions.
