“HaKokhav HaBa” – Episode 8: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Itamar Achiel, Gala Ohayon Katz, Yasmin Shimoni, Hela Gorelik and Nave Levi.
Tonight, the eighth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa” aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. So far, 35 contestants have secured their place in the competition, and during tonight’s episode, five additional contestants advanced to the next stage thanks to the votes of the judges and the studio audience – One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May.
The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. Joining them this time as guest judges were Dana International, the winner of Eurovision 1998, and Netta Barzilai, who won Eurovision 2018. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score.
Itamar Achiel
Itamar Achiel, 21 years old, a discharged soldier from Pardes Hanna-Karkur. He started playing guitar at age 15. Itamar comes from a very musical family, which sparked his love for music. For the audition, he chose to sing the song “HaOr BeChayai” (originally by Ninet Tayeb). Itamar begins the song in a very quiet and emotional way, sitting and playing guitar. His uniqueness lies in the simplicity of his singing and the presentation style. He definitely deserves to pass the first audition.
Dana responded:
“I want to say that you sing excellently, but there is something in the overall atmosphere that doesn’t make me want to see you on the big and busy stage like Eurovision. I think you have raw talent; you can reach great heights if you develop it, but you still don’t have character”.
Keren added:
“In my eyes, you are definitely talented and intelligent. You pass an amazing screen. You remind me of young Eden Hason, and I think Assi and Rotem should use their save button”.
Dana and Assaf voted against. Itamar received 66%. Rotem and Assi pressed the save button, and he advanced to the next round.
Gala Ohayon Katz
Gala Ohayon Katz, 22 years old from Haifa, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just before she turned 15 but fortunately has since recovered. For her audition, she chose to sing the song “Summertime Sadness” (originally by Lana Del Rey). Gala starts the song very low with a beautiful and unique voice. She has a distinctive voice tone and appearance that make her stand out among other contestants. She definitely deserves to pass the first audition.
Itay said:
“I wasn’t completely satisfied, you have crazy vocal abilities but to me it felt very technical, I’m sorry but I have to vote against”.
Eden added:
“Unbelievable, you’re moving! Your overall presence is very, very strong, how you stand, how you hold the microphone, how you stand on stage”.
Shiri summarized:
“I felt enchanted, I believed you, and you picked exactly the right song for yourself but your endings need improvement; they shouldn’t be underestimated. I think it was a really good audition!”
Four judges voted in his favor, Itay voted against. Gala received 82% and advanced to the next round.
Yasmin Shimoni
Yasmin Shimoni, 19 years old from Rehovot. She competed in HaKokhab HaBa last year, receiving 64% but failing to raise the screen in the audition stage. For her audition, she chose to sing the song “Russian Roulette” (originally by Rihanna). Yasmin has a strong, very impressive, and distinct voice color. It’s noticeable that due to the previous audition, she is a bit hesitant, but she deserves to pass, and her confidence on stage will increase with every further performance. She has definitely improved over the past year!
Shiri said:
“You improved tremendously! I still want to give advice for the future; I see that you’re very tense, you need to take control of that, it affects your voice”.
Itay added:
“Your technique is amazing. It’s okay to work according to what the teachers explain, but you can also let go”.
Netta summarized:
“You send an amazing message to kids at home; failing is part of life, and success is also part of life. How wonderful it is to see your journey; you were really excellent, you had very beautiful colors throughout the performance”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Yasmin received 92% and advanced to the next round.
Asaf Pepel
Asaf Pepel, Asaf Pepel is 21 years old from Rishon Lezion. He shared that it took some time for his family to fully support him, but today they support him and allow him to follow his dreams and pursue singing. For his first audition, he chose to sing the song “HaOlam HaMetukan” (originally by Pe’er Tassi). Asaf starts the song quietly and gently, but his voice is not distinctive enough. There was nothing in his performance that we haven’t seen before.
Shiri said:
“Good job on the courage to come, that’s not taken for granted. This is good for your future as a singer, you will gradually find yourself”.
Keren added:
“You are probably not ready for Eurovision right now, but if you want it, you will achieve it”.
Assaf concluded:
“You will be a singer, you are aimed and talented for it. You chose a very narrative song, but you fell into the technical task more than storytelling”.
Assaf and Eden voted against. Asaf received 53% and did not advance to the next round.
Hela Gorelik
Hela Gorelik, 19 years old, from Netanya. participated in the fourth and final season of “Beit Sefer LeMuzika”, where Noa Kirel was her mentor. Hela currently serves in national service as a security guard in Kibbutz Magen near the Gaza envelope. For her audition, she chose to sing the song “All I Ask” (originally by Adele). Hela has a very beautiful and interesting vocal tone with a special roughness. She has impressive control over her voice and delivers the song in a very emotional way. An excellent performance, she definitely has the potential to go far in the program.
Itay said:
“You have an incredible toolbox. The song choice was genius; it fits you so well. This was a fantastic audition!”
Eden added:
“I really imagined the babies you sing the lullaby to falling asleep, it was so soothing to the ears, you know what you’re doing”.
Keren summarized:
“You gave a performance that surprised me greatly, I am speechless. I don’t understand where you came from, it felt like one big magic”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Hela received 90% and advanced to the next round.
Nave Levi
Nave Levi, 30 years old from Ashdod. He comes with a very difficult personal story marked by drug addiction and anxiety. Nave shared that music saved him during his toughest moments. For the audition, he chose to sing the song “Kinori” (originally by Ruby Levi). Nave has a very powerful voice reminiscent of the great Mizrahi singers. He sings high and clear notes. A very emotional and surprising performance. He is worthy of a promising future.
Eden said:
“You succeeded in conveying your story through your voice; it was incredibly authentic and moving. There is pain in your singing, and it touched on many levels”.
Shiri added:
“We see you, I don’t know this song, but I listened to the lyrics, and it’s you. You are a violin, you play, you are definitely in your place. It was really good”.
Keren summarized:
“I heard in your singing a kind of repair, a kind of cleansing. You deserve huge respect; you sing amazingly!”
All five judges voted in his favor. Nave received 88% 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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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
