Saar Hadar is the first contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 20 contestants remain in the race, including Agam Hazan, Elior Shemesh, Daniel Azar, Portrait Band, Gili Tsanaani, and Alona Erez. Full recap of Episode 16.
Last night’s special episode revealed the 21 contestants who made it into the finalists’ team of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026. The decision was made after a tense evening of repeated performances before the season’s five judges — with one clear goal: only one contestant will represent Israel at Eurovision. The selection process dramatically narrowed the competition, officially positioning the remaining contestants in the opening lineup for the battle to represent Israel at Eurovision.
Tonight, seven contestants took the show’s main stage, facing off head-to-head. According to the format, the contestant receiving the lowest score would be eliminated at the end of the episode — marking the immediate end of their Eurovision journey. This first elimination round heightened the tension and made one thing clear: the road to Eurovision is short, competitive, and unforgiving. The grand finale is expected to take place in about a month.
The first seven contestants to perform tonight were Agam Hazan, Elior Shemesh, Daniel Azar, Portrait Band, Gili Tsanaani, Saar Hadar, and Alona Erez.
Agam Hazan
Agam Hazan, 17 years old from Ashkelon, first appeared in the opening auditions episode of the season — and now, she kicks off the competition itself! The contestant receiving the lowest score tonight will be eliminated. For her audition, she chose to perform the song “Baby” (originally by Justin Bieber). On the big stage, Agam wore a gray shirt with the number 93 on it and white pants decorated with glitter. She turned the hit into a soft ballad. In the second verse, two dancers joined her performance, followed later by four more. Agam displayed precise vocals and impressive control across her wide vocal range — the song suited her very well. At moments, she even reminded a bit of Ella-Lee Lahav.
Itay told Agam:
“It’s amazing that you have the confidence to do things your own way. I love what you’re doing. You have an incredible tone. And those high notes — stay there, I love that”.
Assaf, however, had a different view:
“In terms of stage presence — that somewhat worked against you. I felt like there wasn’t a true star quality; you didn’t seem fully in control of the stage. If I had closed my eyes, I could have enjoyed it more. It felt as if you were waiting for the event to start — but you’re the one who needs to ignite it”.
Four judges voted in her favor, Assaf voted against. Agam received 80%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Elior Shemesh
Elior Shemesh chose to perform the song “Supergirl” (originally by Reamonn) and needed to score at least 81% to secure her place in the next round. Elior stepped onto the stage dressed in a vintage-style red outfit. She has undeniable stage presence — she owns the camera! If anyone still doubted her after the audition, this performance proved she’s a star and deserves her spot in the lineup. Her vocal precision and power stood out, though the song’s musical arrangement didn’t fully highlight her abilities.
Shiri said:
“I really like you. But I want to give you one note — you were constantly thinking. You weren’t fully focused on the song. Something felt a bit too technical. You need to let go, enjoy the moment, and stop thinking about everything”.
Keren added:
“I was this close to voting against you, and it’s not because you’re not wonderful. Something felt a bit too polished. I want to tell you this — next time, come in sweatpants and a T-shirt, let us see who you really are, and then build on that”.
Assaf and Eden voted against her. Elior received 65% and now stands at risk of elimination.
Daniel Azar
Daniel Azar chose to perform the song “Kol HaMilim”, a song written by his father for Liran Danino. He needed to score at least 66% to secure his place in the next round. Standing at the center of the stage with a guitar, Daniel delivered the song with skill — it suited him well. He has a remarkable voice and excellent vocal control, yet I didn’t fully feel the emotion in his performance. Daniel is an extremely talented artist who deserves to continue in the competition, and I believe that with more stage experience, he’ll gain confidence and go far.
Eden commented:
“This guy has class. I don’t see an ounce of effort here. He’s holding back on facial expressions and vocal runs. Throughout the entire performance, I was curious. I was waiting for that one moment near the end when you’d finish the melody instead of stopping midway”.
Amdursky responded with a different view:
“You’re a great singer, and you sing beautifully, but it took a long time for you to loosen up. Only when the screen went up did the weight lift, and something finally began to happen”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Assaf voted against. Daniel received 80% and advanced to the next round.
Portrait Band
Portrait Band chose to perform their own song, “Ad Elayich”. They needed to score at least 66% to secure their place in the next round. The stage’s LED screens turned colorful, bringing a joyful, upbeat vibe to the performance. Lead singer Ron Rosenfeld delivered the song while sparking nostalgia among viewers over age 35. The vocals were excellent, the stage presence was strong, and the overall energy was pure fun! There’s no doubt they deserve to move on to the next stage. But is this the act that could win first place for us? Maybe. Either way, they earned the highest score of the evening!
Shiri told Portrait:
“You’re a great band — wonderful, you sound good, you look good, everything’s working. In my opinion, this could totally be at Eurovision. I’d like to see how you step out of your comfort zone next time”.
Keren added:
“At Eurovision, we often see bands that didn’t start yesterday or the day before. They come as a tight group, and the audience can feel that. We’ve never sent something like this before, and Eurovision audiences really love bands like yours”.
All five judges voted in their favor. Portrait received 84% and advanced to the next round.
Gili Tsanaani
Gili Tsanaani chose to perform the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (originally by Cyndi Lauper). She needed to score at least 66% to secure her place in the next round. Gili delivered a charming performance, transforming the song into a heartfelt ballad and adding her own interpretation. We truly love her vocal tone, her presence, and her connection with the camera. It’s always a delight to rediscover who Gili is — the talented yet shy performer. Still, we’d love to see her show just a bit more confidence and add a little more of a smile to the camera. Other than that — she’s perfect.
Amdursky said:
“That was very beautiful, and the musical arrangement was really lovely. But you kept repeating the same trick, the same mannerism — it felt like an improvisation, but improvisations should happen once. You did it four or five times, and it drove me crazy. You have to pay attention to that”.
Eden, however, offered a different view:
“You touched my heart deeply. There was a spectrum of emotions — sadness, joy, courage, bravery, and shyness — all intertwined. It was incredibly moving”.
Four judges voted in her favor, Assaf voted against. Gili received 79% and advanced to the next round.
Saar Hadar
Saar Hadar chose to perform the song “Ruchot” (originally by Eliad Nahum). He needed to score at least 66% to secure his place in the next round. Saar opened the song with a unique musical arrangement of his own. He’s undeniably musical and radiates charisma, but we can’t quite picture this performance on the Eurovision stage. we’re sorry — it doesn’t “explode” the way we wish it would, it’s not as precise as we’d like it to be, and I’m not sure the European audience would fully grasp this musical direction.
Eden, who voted against, told Saar:
“You’re a star, I completely agree. I’ll also add that you have a creative mind — the whole megaphone bit was cool. I loved everything I saw on stage. I just think you still need to go through some growth when it comes to vocal stability and control — your voice isn’t quite there yet”.
Keren added:
“I’ve been following you for many years; I see your journey. I’m sure you’ll succeed one hundred percent, just as you believe you will”.
Assaf and Eden voted against. Saar received 56% and now stands at risk of elimination.
Alona Erez
Alona Erez opened her part of the competition with the song “Strange” (originally by Celeste). She needed to score at least 57% to secure her place in the next round. Alona has a warm, tender voice — very pleasant to listen to. Her stage presence is outstanding, the camera adores her, and she delivers the song flawlessly. It was a wonderful performance. It’s crystal clear who Alona Erez is and what her musical style represents, and she’s undoubtedly destined to go far this season. Well done!
Keren said:
“You’re in a league of your own — you have class. You’re the first to give me goosebumps all over my body. You know how to deliver lyrics, and your beauty shines from the inside out. You bring a style I never thought could move me emotionally. Alona, you’re absolutely stunning in my eyes”.
Eden, however, added:
“I agree with everyone that you might be one of the most deserving acts we could send to Eurovision. You’re an incredible singer. But I voted against you as a form of protest. I’ve already heard you in this style before — it doesn’t push you outward, it makes you sound more niche to people familiar with this genre. You need to bring in a bit more color, more tonal variety”.
Assaf and Eden voted against. Alona received 72% and advanced to the next round.
Saar Hadar, who achieved the lowest score of the evening, became the first contestant eliminated from the show.
“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.
