Mentamer Taganya is the fourth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 17 contestants remain in the race, including Noam Bettan, Gal De Paz, Tamir Levy and Michael HarPaz. Full recap of Episode 19.
17 contestants remain at this stage in “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026,” with the grand winner set to represent Israel at Eurovision 2026, which will take place in Vienna, Austria, on May 12, 14, and 16.
The next stage is the “Duets” challenge. Five duets were performed tonight, with the judges forced to part ways with one contestant from the pair that received the lowest score at the end of the evening.
Elior Shemesh and Agam Hazan
Elior and Agam chose to perform the song “Yechefim” (originally by Yasmin Moallem). In this performance, the two wanted to apply the feedback they received from their previous appearance – to feel more relaxed and natural on stage. The connection between them, even off-stage, is evident. Both possess soothing vocals, and their voices blend together seamlessly. Their vocal precision was wonderful, making it an excellent performance to open the evening.
Shiri praised them:
“What a great job, what a connection! Wow, you were amazing. When you sang together, you sounded like one. Agam, you held the harmonies; everything was beautiful, moving, and right for each of you. I loved the whole event from start to finish.”
Assaf:
“The vocal combination was excellent. you knew how to highlight one another, but even in the backing vocals, each of you maintained your own unique ‘color.’ It grew stronger as it went on, and the build-up was very right and musical.”
Keren explained her vote:
“This is a performance that fits any platform, and my ‘red’ vote is related to the specific platform we are on. I was at Eurovision for two years, and when I imagine this there, something critical is missing. I didn’t feel our platform was connected to this. In your next performance, I would want you to bring ‘Eurovision’ as well.”
Keren voted against. Elior and Agam received 84%, setting the bar for the following contestants.
Tamir Levy and Daniel Azar
Tamir and Daniel chose to perform the song “Kchi Lach Zman” (originally by Yetziat Herum) and needed to score at least 85% to secure their place in the next round.. The two played guitars in front of the judges rather than on the main stage. Despite their young age, Tamir and Daniel delivered a mature and harmonious performance. It was an excellent song choice that suited both contestants and their voices perfectly, though the style might work better for an Israeli audience than on the big European stage.
Shiri:
“You are so cool – you’re such cute, cool kids, like ‘men-children.’ You told the story, you sang to each other, and every time you sounded so good and so precise.”
Itay:
“I think each of you could represent us at Eurovision individually. Daniel, I am simply charmed by you. I hope you never fully realize how talented you are. This is a vocal tone I haven’t heard in many years; you are simply a child prodigy. I told Eden he must produce something for you. Tamir, I would love to have a jam session with you. It was precise and correct – the song choice, the way you accompanied each other – total hats off.”
All judges voted in favor. Tamir and Daniel received 90% and advanced on to the next round.
Michael HarPaz and Portrait Band
Michael and Portrait chose to perform “Levad Bamidbar” (originally by Guy Mazig). They needed to score at least 85% to secure their place in the next round. The two artists have a long history together, having performed a joint show for many years. The contestants delivered a fun, nostalgic performance (featuring trumpets and a disco vibe). Their voices blended well, and it was evident that they share a strong connection and a desire to bring an optimistic and positive atmosphere to the competition.
Keren:
“I identified with you on stage; I was very relaxed and felt that you knew exactly what you were doing. I didn’t have a single critique to give you.”
Assaf explained his vote:
“It was nice, but I wasn’t blown away the way I am when it’s Portrait or Michael individually. Perhaps it was the song choice. I wasn’t enthusiastic.”
Itay added:
“When you started singing, I thought to myself, ‘Michael HarPaz is a big musical star and Portrait are legends.’ There was a clash of stars here, but in my eyes, you are both excellent individually.”
Itay and Assaf voted against. Michael and Portrait received 56% and are now up for elimination.
Gili Tsanaani and Mentamer Taganya
Gili and Mentamer chose to perform “Locked Out of Heaven” (originally by Bruno Mars). They needed to score at least 57% to secure their place in the next round. It was refreshing to see the two perform an upbeat track and step out of their comfort zone. While there were a few rhythmic slips, the harmonies were excellent, and the audience clearly connected with them. They appeared relaxed and confident on stage, even approaching the judges’ table during the performance. It was apparent that the judges’ hesitation stemmed from Michael and Portrait’s low score and a desire not to eliminate any of them. Assaf, who voted against, even remarked that the four ‘Red’ votes Mentamer and Gili received were entirely unjustified.
Itay, the only one who voted in favor, said:
“I want you to smile; this is part of life and the career that, God willing, you will have. The audience really loved you, and if everyone had voted in favor, you would have received 93%.”
Assaf:
“This was tailored to be joyful, but the two leaders of this event showed their weakness. These things usually take time to solidify, but this wasn’t professional enough.”
Eden, Shiri, Keren, and Assaf voted against. Gili and Mentamer received 45% and are now up for elimination.
Gal De Paz and Noam Bettan
Gal and Noam chose to perform “Billie Jean” (originally by Michael Jackson), but with a different, rock-oriented arrangement. They needed to score at least 46% to secure their place in the next round. Their performance definitely fits the “duet of the two favorites” slot – a slot that almost every year features contestants who go on to take first and second place, or at least reach the final (such as Eden Golan and Or Cohen in 2024). The arrangement was completely different from the original, sounding like an entirely new song. Both singers are powerful and demonstrated highly impressive vocal abilities. Teaming them up for the rest of the competition wouldn’t be a bad idea at all! I loved it.
Eden:
“Noam, I’m so glad you joined this show. Beyond the level of talent you bring, it really benefits you. This is the perfect platform for you, and you’ll become a star out of here. Gal, you are so good and so unique; you stood out to me especially in your more ‘shouted’ parts. Your voices blend like two surfaces glued together – this was the best performance of the night.”
Shiri:
“This was a crazy and sexy bullfight. I was totally in your moment. The vocals were perfectly matched, everything was synchronized, powerful, and precise. Thank you.”
Assaf explained his vote:
“It’s a matter of taste. For me, there was no emotion here. It was athletic, physical; you took funk and groove and stripped the groove away – no added emotional value was introduced. it was a display of athletics.”
Assaf voted against. Noam and Gal received 83% and move on to the next round.
Mentamer Taganya, who achieved the lowest score of the evening in the duet with Gili Tsanaani, became the fourth 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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Tal Dahan – Journalist, radio broadcaster, and Eurovision content creator.
Tal Dahan is an Israeli journalist and editor specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest, working with the EuroMix editorial team for four years. Since 2022, she has provided regular on-site coverage of Eurovision from the host city, and from 2023 has also reported directly from the press room—offering the Israeli audience live updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth commentary.
Tal is a member of the Eurovision tribute and parody band “EuroFalsh,” a radio broadcaster, and a student of political science and communications.
She is considered one of Israel’s leading young Eurovision experts. In addition to covering the main contest, Tal has reported from Eurovision pre-parties and national selection events across Europe (in Thessaloniki, Stockholm, Madrid, and more), been interviewed by major media outlets in Israel and internationally, and presented Eurovision-themed podcasts and radio shows.
