“HaKokhav HaBa” – Episode 12: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Nathan Ben Shimon, Sandy Deri, Eden Hen, Nuriel Yashar, and Rotem Sharabi.
Tonight, the twelfth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa” aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. So far, 54 contestants have secured their place in the competition, and during tonight’s episode, four 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 auditions will conclude this coming Tuesday.
The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. Joining them this time were Netta Barzilai, who won Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy“, and Dana International, who won Eurovision 1998 with the song “Diva“, alongside her agent Shai Kerem.
Nathan Ben Shimon
Nathan Ben Shimon, 20 years old from Ra’anana. He previously participated in “HaKokhav HaBa” three years ago, barely passing his first audition but not advancing to the team. Over the past three years, Nathan has gone through many personal upheavals. Following the events of October 7th, he decided to embrace religious observance. He revealed that his goal in joining the competition is to reach Eurovision and “be a light unto the nations”. For his audition, he chose to perform the song “Aba” (originally by Ben Zur). Nathan has a warm, soothing voice — his greatest strength lies in his simplicity and effortless delivery, making him fully deserving of advancing past the audition.
Eden said:
“I’m very curious to see what you’ll bring in your next performances”.
Assaf added:
“Your performance wasn’t quite television‑ready, not captivating enough on stage. Your voice is beautiful though — maybe this can improve as the season continues”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Assaf voted against. Nathan received 82% and advanced to the next round.
Sandy Deri
Sandy Deri, 27 years old from Tiberias. Since childhood, she has been a fan of Japanese anime and has listened to K‑pop songs from an early age. This lifelong passion eventually led Sandy to work in the K‑pop industry as a songwriter and creator for famous K‑pop artists and bands in Japan, South Korea, and other countries. Since the age of 15, she has kept her hair dyed red. For her audition, she chose to sing the song “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing” (originally by Stevie Wonder). Sandy has a very unique, powerful voice — the performance was both intriguing and distinctive. It will be fascinating to see what she brings later in the season.
Assaf hesitated before voting in her favor, while Itay tried to convince him:
“She chose such a difficult song! It worked a bit against her, but she has an incredibly special vocal range. She deserves that blue and to move forward!”
Keren added:
“I really like people who reinvent themselves. You’re simply you — there’s no one like you! I have no doubt you have technique and can sing. That’s something to build on”.
Shiri commented:
“It was too much for me. It didn’t turn into a number that swept me away. At some point I got tired of the excessive improvisations and shouting. You reach amazing high notes, wow, but it needs to be done tastefully”.
Assaf concluded:
“I need emotion. That was missing for me. I’m advancing you now, but next time, please give us your feelings”.
Four judges voted in her favor, Shiri voted against. Sandy received 76% and advanced to the next round.
Eden Hen
Eden Hen, 21 years old from Lod. Her mother says Eden inherited her musical talent from her father. Sadly, her father struggled with alcoholism and passed away around 13 years ago. For her audition, she chose to perform “Ratsiti Ledaber Itcha“ (originally by Nasreen Qadri). Netta Barzilai joined the judging panel for this audition. Eden has a very beautiful and emotional voice, performing beautiful vocal runs that highlight her deep connection to the song, which she dedicated to her father.
Netta began by saying:
“There was a lot of charm present throughout your performance, coming through your singing”.
Eden Hasson added:
“I think something in this performance became a turning point for you. It allowed you to express yourself and your story. From now on, you’ll be able to find more courage and fulfill your dreams. I’m really looking forward to your next performance”.
Itay concluded:
“You chose a very big song. In my opinion, don’t put yourself in that box — you have the ability to take songs from the other side and make them your own, expressing your feelings through them”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Eden received 89% and advanced to the next round.
Avraham Dahan
Avraham Dahan, 22 years old from Eilat. He served as a paratrooper recruit on October 7th. Avraham shared that since the age of five, singing has been his greatest love and life’s purpose. For his audition, he chose to perform the song “Yesh Bach” (originally from My Festigal). He dedicated the song to his relatives who survived the horrific massacre at the Nova party. Dana International and Shai Kerem joined the judging panel for this audition. Avraham has a very beautiful and emotional voice, but his performance did not lift or evolve enough.
Eden began:
“You really touched me deeply. I can see your connection to your family. But I can understand why you got voted against”.
Dana said:
“It doesn’t have to be this year. He needs to find himself more and gain experience”.
Assaf concluded:
“You have many years ahead to stir things up in the music world, to figure out who you are, and to bring us something more mature”.
Assaf and Dana voted against. Avraham received 60% and did not advance to the next round.
Nuriel Yashar
Nuriel Yashar, 25 years old from Netanya. The world of music is not new to Nuriel — he is an established creator who has written and produced songs for several artists, including Anna Zak and two of the judges, Eden Hasson and Itay Levi. For his audition, he chose to perform the song “Shallow” (originally by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper). Dana International and Shai Kerem joined the judging panel for this audition. Nuriel has a very strong and powerful voice, with impressive vocal abilities and clear experience in the music industry.
Eden said:
“I’m in love with your tone of voice and your amazing vocal abilities”.
Shiri added:
“Your vocal color is so warm and beautiful. I do want you to be more organized next time; there were a few too many improvisations”.
Dana commented:
“You’re an excellent singer and have a lot of abilities. What bothered me was that you took the song into an Eastern style. I would’ve preferred if you had kept it in Lady Gaga’s original style”.
Assaf concluded:
“I really liked the freedom you took. You gave us a showcase of what you can do, though I agree that you should be a bit more organized next time”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Dana voted against. Nuriel received 78% and advanced to the next round.
Rotem Sharabi
Rotem Sharabi, 21 years old from Alfei Menashe. Rotem is the niece of Yossi Sharabi, who was murdered in the horrific October 7th massacre. She previously performed on “HaKokhav HaBa” two seasons ago, dedicating her appearance to her beloved uncle and praying for the return of the hostages. Rotem studied at the Rimon School of Music, sharing that attending the school saved her from staying in bed and sinking into depression. For her audition, she chose to sing the song “Hayamim Shelanu” (originally by HaYehudim). Rotem’s performance was deeply emotional and touching — a powerful audition fully deserving of a place in the next round.
Itay began:
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard someone deliver lyrics this way — every word carried weight. You have an amazing ability to tell your own story”.
Eden added:
“I really love your tone; you sound great. I can hear that you’re working on your technique, and maybe that’s what bothered me a little. There were moments I thought, ‘Wow, what an incredible singer,’ and other moments where I felt it wasn’t quite my taste. That’s why I voted last”.
Shiri said:
“I can see the pain and the story through your eyes. The words carry a lot of weight in your performance, but I’m sure that the few vocal things that bothered me will improve as you go along”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Rotem received 86% 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.
