Portrait Band are the eighth contestants to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 13 contestants remain in the race, including Dorin Or, Alona Erez, Eitan Aharon, and Noam Bettan. Full recap of Episode 23.
13 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 “Surprise Duet” — a challenge in which each contestant from the team performs a duet with a famous singer whose identity they don’t know in advance. The celebrity singer surprises the contestant during the performance itself. Five contestants took the stage to perform their duets, with the contestant receiving the lowest score being eliminated.
Dorin Or
Dorin Or chose to sing the song “Ahava Asura” (originally by Zehava Ben). There’s no need to introduce Dorin’s distinctive voice; once again, she brings something special, intriguing, and captivating to the song. She makes it her own from the very first second, with her hypnotic and deep tone. A truly excellent singer. Joining Dorin on stage was Yuval Dayan. Despite their differences, the two complemented each other beautifully — it was a unique performance that gave goosebumps. What a remarkable combination.
Keren said:
“The most beautiful thing is authenticity — when each artist chooses her own path. You carry a very strong message, and you’re a very powerful singer”.
Shiri commented:
“What I loved the most was your singing. There’s something about your raspy voice that just scratched my heart”.
Assaf added:
“It was an amazing number — it didn’t feel forced. I think it’s wonderful to take a song and give it new meaning”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Dorin received 75%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Alona Erez
Alona Erez chose to perform the song “Skyfall” (originally by Adele) and needed to score at least 76% to secure her place in the next round. After her previous episode’s performance, Alona returned to her true form with a song that fits her perfectly. What a special, captivating, and mysterious arrangement — it’s addictive from the second she opens her mouth. Alona is, without question, a phenomenal singer. Joining her on stage was Miri Mesika. Honestly, this collaboration completely elevated Alona, together, they were incredibly powerful. Alona could absolutely represent Israel — with a song in this style, she could go very far in the competition.
Itay said:
“As the finals approach, I feel like maybe you’re a little afraid or not giving it your all — or maybe that’s just who you are, and that’s your artistic toolkit”.
Eden commented:
“In your previous performance, I said I didn’t fully connect, but today it was precise — it was really good”.
Shiri said:
“You were amazing. This was one of your best numbers this season — you came back to us”.
Assaf noted:
“Your duet partner didn’t overshadow you, which is a big wow. You stayed focused, you didn’t panic in front of the huge star, and you handled it beautifully”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Alona received 94% and advanced to the next round. Dorin stands at risk of elimination.
Eitan Aharon
Eitan Aharon chose to sing the song “Ner Al HaKhalon” (originally by Stella Maris). He needed to score at least 76% to secure his place in the next round. There’s no doubt — Eitan is a singer with a unique voice, and if he continues on this path, he can go far. He truly deserves his place here, he’s earned it. That said, it’s still unknown if he’s ready for the big European stage. Joining Eitan was his brother Ori Aharon. It has to be said — this duet was long awaited, and honestly? The two of them gave chills. Wow. Ori brought out a side of Eitan we haven’t seen before. It was deeply moving.
Keren said:
“We come to Europe from a place where people often look at us from the side — not by choice — and that’s why there’s something here that I think is a brilliant move and could take us far. I trust you to represent us”.
Eden commented:
“I want to compliment you — you applied many of the things you were told, and you were much more focused. The two of you together created a moment that went beyond just music”.
Shiri noted:
“Every time, from one performance to the next, I ask myself if you’re ready for Eurovision. This performance was amazing — you should advance — but this time I have a note: I want to see you less technical”.
Assaf said:
“You sang beautifully. I know you had a cold, but you know how to set goals and achieve them. I like that — but even more, I like hearing you sing”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Eitan received 91% and advanced to the next round. Dorin still stands at risk of elimination.
Portrait Band
Portrait Band chose to perform the song “Bo’i VeNavi Lakh TaFunk” (originally by Mercedes Band). They needed to score at least 76% to secure their place in the next round. The performance was good, and Portrait Band has already proven that it has the ability to represent Israel. Still, if we had to choose among the remaining contestants, they would may be the ones to go home at this point. Joining Portrait was Pablo Rosenberg. Pablo is an excellent singer, but despite his presence, the performance didn’t truly take off. It was good — but nothing beyond that.
Itay said:
“Stay just the way you are. I’m glad you didn’t hesitate to come here — it was so right and so empowering. You just can’t sit still. That was explosive”.
Eden commented:
“People should learn from you — both the younger TikTok generation and us”.
Shiri noted:
“You represent the fun in music, and you don’t compromise who you are. You carried the song well”.
Assaf remarked:
“This isn’t Eurovision material in any way. It’s not the age — and I can say that because I’m your age”.
Four judges voted in their favor, Assaf voted against. Portrait received 66% and stand at risk of elimination. Dorin advanced to the next round.
Noam Bettan
Noam Bettan chose to perform the song “Mon Amour” (originally by Slimane, France’s representative for Eurovision 2024). He needed to score at least 67% to secure his place in the next round. Well, what can be said that hasn’t been said already? Noam is an excellent singer — nearly every performance he gives is special and intriguing. He’s going to go far, no question about it, and he has a pretty good chance of representing Israel this year. Joining Noam was Yuval Raphael, Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2025. If the performance was good before, now it was truly outstanding. The two complemented each other perfectly, delivering an emotionally charged performance that moved the audience to tears. Noam, well done — an excellent performance.
Itay said:
“What happened to me with Yuval Raphael is the same thing that happens to me with you. She was always the best”.
Keren commented:
“I don’t understand what they were talking about — it was perfect”.
Eden noted:
“You set such a high bar for yourself, but today, compared to your usual level, you felt lukewarm. Many eyes are on you — it’s important that you take care of yourself”.
Assaf remarked:
“I didn’t enjoy it — nothing about it was to my taste. The connection between you didn’t work”.
Four judges voted in her favor, Assaf voted against. Noam received 84% and advanced to the next round, Eliminating Portrait Band.
Portrait Band, who achieved the lowest score of the evening, became the eighth contestants 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.
