Elior Shemesh is the tenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 11 contestants remain in the race, including Shaked Solomon, Michael HarPaz, and Tamir Levy. Full recap of Episode 25.
11 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. Four contestants took the stage to perform their duets, with the contestant receiving the lowest score being eliminated.
Shaked Solomon
Shaked Solomon chose to perform the song “KsheAt Atzuva” (originally by Amir Benayoun). Throughout the song, Shaked showcased impressive vocal trills and a strong, powerful voice, though at times it felt as though he was pushing a bit too hard, which slightly affected the delivery. He was joined on stage by singer Lior Narkis, Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2003. It was a good duet — their voices blended beautifully.
Shiri opened:
“That was a stunning duet. It’s unbelievable that you’re so young, and then a singer like Lior Narkis joins you, and you sing together as if you’re on the same level”.
Itay responded:
“That was a beautiful duet, and it’s great having you with us”.
Assaf said:
“You’re very musical and capable of many things, but next to a singer like Lior Narkis, suddenly it sounded weaker”.
Keren summarized:
“Your gentleness is your strength, in my opinion. Your talent is absolute — I’m definitely voting in your favor”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Assaf voted against. Shaked received 79%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Elior Shemesh
Elior Shemesh chose to sing the song “Im Zo Ahava” (originally by the band Premiera) and needed to score at least 80% to secure her place in the next round. Wow — what a unique voice, what a stunning tone she has! She was joined on stage by singer Noam Kleinstein. When Noam entered, Elior seemed a bit nervous and emotional, but she quickly pulled herself together and showed her true potential. She absolutely deserves to continue in the competition!
Eden began:
“You were the best you’ve ever been on the show so far”.
Shiri said:
“I think that was an absolutely beautiful duet, well done”.
Assaf commented:
“You have a lovely voice and you’re a musician, but something in you still isn’t quite ready. I don’t think it was good enough”.
Itay concluded:
“It wasn’t good. It was a bit weak, and I’m a little worried about what’s next”.
Assaf and Itay voted against her. Elior received 63% and stands at risk of elimination. Shaked advanced to the next round.
Michael HarPaz
Michael HarPaz chose to perform the song “All By Myself” (originally by Celine Dion). He needed to score at least 64% to secure his place in the next round. Michael continues to prove that he knows exactly what he’s doing — his vast experience shines through in every performance. He was joined by singer Maya Buskila, who competed in “HaKokhav Haba” in 2019 and finished in fourth place, and cousin of Shimon Buskila who performed as a surprise artist last episode. However, the duet didn’t quite work, it felt more like a competition of who could sing louder rather than a harmonious collaboration.
Eden began:
“I really, really loved everything you conveyed in this performance. I love you”.
Assaf commented:
“Expectations for you are very high. It was a bit weak — I felt like you didn’t come to dominate the stage”.
Itay concluded:
“It’s such a joy that you’re here — you’re so fitting and so deserving”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Assaf voted against. Michael received 78% and advanced to the next round. Elior still stands at risk of elimination.
Tamir Levy
Tamir Levy chose to perform “Eifo Hayit” (originally by Beit HaBubot). He needed to score at least 64% to secure his place in the next round. He’s simply an excellent singer — incredibly charismatic, a superb vocalist who keeps improving with every performance. He was joined on stage by singer Raviv Kaner, who competed in “HaKokhav Haba” in 2019 and finished in fifth place. It was an excellent duet, their voices blended beautifully, and Tamir remained composed, showing real confidence in his talent. He truly deserves to go far in the competition!
Assaf began:
“That was really good. You supported each other so well. It wasn’t shouty, yet it still had power”.
Shiri said:
“I completely agree with Assaf — you really carried the song”.
Eden commented:
“I really, really loved what you did here”.
Itay said:
“You’re truly a great singer. Each time you become stronger, more confident”.
Keren summarized:
“It took me some time to figure you out. Now, you’re one of the frontrunners for me”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Tamir received 88% and advanced to the next round, Eliminating Elior.
Elior Shemesh, who achieved the lowest score of the evening, became the Tenth 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.
