Shaia Avitan is the fifth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 16 contestants remain in the race, including Alona Erez, Shira Zloof, Dorin Or, and Eitan Aharon. Full recap of Episode 20.
16 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 12th, 14th, and 16th.
The next stage is the “Duets” challenge. Four 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.
Shaked Solomon and Nave Levi
Shaked and Nave chose to perform the song “Ad Matai Elohai” (originally by Zohar Argov). The blend of their voices was intriguing — it’s hard to ignore the resemblance between Nave’s tone and that of the legendary singer Zohar Argov. Shaked sang in a lower key, making his parts softer and more delicate. At no point did they sing simultaneously, allowing each one to shine individually. Only in the final seconds of the song did Shaked and Nave sing together.
Keren opened her feedback:
“You’re both wonderful singers in my eyes, and it was great that you gave each other space. It was a stunning performance”.
Eden added:
“Each of you is a star in their own right, but I’d love to hear your connection together”.
Assaf went further: “It’s hard to call this a duet,” and commented to Nave:
“You’re amazing, but performance‑wise — if we’re talking about Eurovision — it’s clear that you’re nervous. I want the audience to see that you know you’re amazing”.
Shiri concluded:
“You’re both incredible singers, but this wasn’t really a duet”.
Four judges voted in their favor, Assaf voted against. Shaked and Nave received 77%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Eitan Aharon and Stav Vaknin
Eitan and Stav chose to perform the song “Lehaamin” (originally by Doli & Penn with Idan Raichel) and needed to score at least 78% to secure their place in the next round. The audience cheered for them throughout the performance. Their vocal combination was beautiful, though at times Eitan pushed a bit too hard, creating a slightly sharp effect. Stav’s abilities clearly shone through, once again proving she is one of the strongest contestants of the season — determined to go all the way.
Keren said:
“You gave Eitan his place, you were there for him like a sister, and that’s what made it so beautiful”.
Shiri added:
“It was musically wonderful — the vocals, the key change — it was amazing”.
Eden said:
“You’re both good separately and together”.
Itay said emotionally:
“Stav, may there be more women like you. You’re a wonderful singer. That was amazing”.
Assaf concluded:
“You knew how to support one another. You both have beautiful voices and knew how to bring softness when needed. That’s very important”.
All five judges voted in their favor. Stav and Eitan received 92% and advanced to the next round.
Shaia Avitan and Dorin Or
Shaia and Dorin chose to perform the song “Yechola Levad” (originally by Odeya). They needed to score at least 78% to secure their place in the next round. Shaia was very emotional throughout the performance, while Dorin seemed relaxed and cool. Both sang beautifully, especially in the chorus. However, the performance wasn’t powerful enough — there was something restrained about their connection.
Keren said:
“Shaia, I’m sorry to say this, but Dorin was more ready, and she led the performance”.
Shiri added:
“It was supposed to be very powerful, but I got lost. It just didn’t reach me”.
Keren, Shiri and Itay voted against. Shaia and Dorin received 46% and now stand at risk of elimination.
Alona Erez and Shira Zloof
Alona and Shira chose to perform the song “Bat Li Pitom” (originally by Keren Peles and Roni Alter), with an added section written by Shira. They needed to score at least 47% to secure their place in the next round. The performance started nicely but felt a bit subdued. In the part written by Shira, which leaned toward spoken delivery, both opened up and sang together with wonderful harmonies and a touching connection. It was a deeply emotional performance — one of the most beautiful duets of this stage. Both aimed high, and rightly so.
Eden said:
“That was an amazing performance in my eyes. I felt two girls who know how to deliver a text, like Keren and Miri (Mesika, an Israeli singer)”.
Shiri said:
“Shira, you brought the rough edge — without it, it would have been too cheesy”.
Itay added:
“Shira, you’re a genius. You’re an amazing person. You’re talented”.
Assaf said:
“It was delivered excessively, unbalanced, and not attentive to the song’s essence”.
Keren concluded:
“Each of you preserved her own character without folding for the other — and it came together magically”.
Four judges voted in their favor, Assaf voted against. Alona and Shira received 82% and advanced to the next round.
Shaia Avitan, who achieved the lowest score of the evening in the duet with Dorin Or, became the fifth 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.
