Eitan Aharon is the eleventh contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 10 contestants remain in the race, including Noam Bettan, Gal De Paz, and Alona Erez. Full recap of Episode 26.
In exactly two weeks, the grand finale of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026” will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th.
11 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 10 will continue.
This evening, the production introduced a brand-new challenge never before seen in previous seasons. Each contestant chose a hit song to perform alongside a live band. However, during the song, a signal appeared on the screen – after which they had to continue singing a-cappella, without the band’s backing. Keeping rhythm, staying in tune, and maintaining composure became crucial.
The two contestants who received the lowest scores of the night faced elimination, and the judging panel was tasked with choosing which of the two would be eliminated.
Michael HarPaz
Michael HarPaz chose to sing the song “Story of My Life” (originally by One Direction). Michael’s voice is lovely — the depth, the raspiness, the experience — all come through in every note. As we know, Michael has a perfect English accent in songs, so he could certainly perform our song on the European stage, even if it’s in English. Michael swept the studio away with his professionalism. He got a bit lost in the lower musical notes — but that’s a minor sound issue, not Michael’s fault. The song’s highlight, the a-cappella part, added a dramatic touch to the performance, and he passed it well despite a very slight inaccuracy — you probably barely noticed. He gave his all on stage!
Eden said:
“Michael understood that he’s at the stage where he needs to pull out the heavy artillery, and he gave everything he’s got. You lifted the audience to the skies, raised the atmosphere — it’s your best performance since the season began”.
Shiri added:
“It’s the first time you’ve crossed some sort of line. You used to stay cool, not let yourself explode, but this time you went all the way. The a cappella part was good, though at the end I expected you to let out some sort of shout”.
Assaf said:
“There’s something very stable about you. In your field of pop, you don’t have that flattery that sometimes characterizes people in pop. You really keep your poise. That’s worthy of appreciation”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Michael received 90%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Alona Erez
Alona Erez chose to sing the song “Stay” (originally by Rihanna) Another ballad showcasing Alona’s deep and full voice. She began the song with a slight inaccuracy, but the rest was simply flawless. Her delivery was amazing, making the feel of something intimate, like she was singing for one person in a small room. The a-cappella part of the performance was excellent, and she handled it with great skill. She closed the song by simply “exploding” on stage.
Shiri said:
“That was your best performance since the moment you set foot on this stage. It was so precise and right. You’ve reached the level I’ve been waiting for. I remember you were a promise in your first audition, and then there was a bit of a decline — but now I saw you at Eurovision holding a song beautifully”.
Assaf added:
“I think there was a moment of crisis there, and then you brought out sincerity that was very photogenic. You have a very beautiful voice. That was a very successful performance from you. And maybe it’s the first time I think you can represent us at Eurovision”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Alona received 96%.
Gal De Paz
Gal De Paz chose to sing the song “Natural Woman” (originally by Aretha Franklin) as a response to the small crisis she experienced in the previous episode. Gal’s singing makes people smile. It makes them feel “at home”, safe, and confident that she can represent us at Eurovision in the best way possible. Her vocal control is outstanding, and the backing vocals that join in like a gospel choir are simply thrilling. Throughout the season, Gal has been applying the judges’ comments — shouting and growling less, gradually transforming from something avant-garde to mainstream at the heart of prime time. She passed the a-cappella challenge effortlessly.
Keren said:
“From the very first moment, I’ve seen you as a natural woman. I’ve never encountered such natural talent. I’ve known you for many years. The fact that you haven’t had a breakthrough is completely coincidental — it’s because you chose your own determined path. You are simply a talent bomb. You’ll amaze people in Europe too; you’re one of the frontrunners to represent Israel in Vienna this year”.
Assaf said:
“You started beautifully, you didn’t try to be Aretha Franklin. But at some point, when you pushed harder, the spark disappeared for me, and I felt some struggle — I couldn’t vote in your favor, in my feeling”.
Shiri added:
“Nothing here swept me away. I don’t need to be surprised by every number, but something about the song choice felt like you didn’t have the energy to put in the effort. Still, I think you can represent us at Eurovision. You are phenomenal.”
Four judges voted in her favor, Assaf voted against. Gal received 78%.
Tamir Levy
Tamir Levy chose to sing the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (originally by Nirvana). Tamir is an amazing singer who gave everything he had during the performance. While he was singing, we wished we could see Tamir perform an original song in this style on the Eurovision stage. However, the song choice didn’t seem the best. Taking a rock classic and trying to recreate Nirvana’s vibe is nearly impossible — in a song like this, it’s inevitable to compare Tamir’s version with the iconic performance by the original band. Tamir deserves to make it to the final — but unfortunately, this time it didn’t quite work.
Eden said:
“I was mesmerized. You aroused real curiosity, you were dramatically intense in a meaningful way, weird in a good sense that could definitely serve us at Eurovision”.
Keren said:
“I don’t think this is your path. You should continue performing with your band. You should go from bar to bar, not Eurovision”.
Itay added:
“I think you deserve to be here, and you have the ability to represent us at Eurovision. I would’ve put the drama aside. The performance, in my opinion, wasn’t good”.
Assaf, Keren and Itay voted against him. Tamir received 48%.
Eitan Aharon
Eitan Aharon chose to sing the song “Od Yihiye Li” (originally by Margalit Tsanani) — very different from what he has performed so far. Eitan’s performance was pleasant, but it lacked the edge that the song requires. His voice completely cracked at the peak of the song due to an illness he has been suffering from for two weeks. Regardless of that, Eitan’s journey throughout the season is seen, and he’s definitely improving and gaining confidence. However, at this stage, it’s atill unknown how this fits Eurovision or how European audiences would respond to songs in Eitan’s style.
Shiri said:
“You’re simply inspiring. I’m honestly speechless. There’s no doubt that along the way, your voice cracked several times. You’ve reached a very high point in this competition, where you not only don’t want to disappoint yourself but also your brother, your parents, the audience, and us — but you’re sick. I have to be professional — it wasn’t your best”.
Keren said:
“I see you as a very stable singer, goal‑oriented, doing what you’ve worked on as best as you can — and you didn’t give up despite being sick”.
Itay summed up:
“I think all of us break down sometimes along the way, and you taught us something great tonight — you didn’t stop, you didn’t quit, you kept singing and gave everything you had. I’m proud of you”.
Assaf, Shiri and Eden voted against him. Eitan received 55%.
Noam Bettan
Noam Bettan chose to sing “Leylot VeKlalot” (originally by Omer Adam). Noam delivered another excellent performance — he sang accurately, expressed the song beautifully, and seemed completely at ease with it. Throughout the season, it’s been clear that Noam feels most comfortable with Hebrew or French ballads — and if he ends up representing us, that’s probably what we’ll see on the Eurovision stage as well. He hit the high notes, nailed the low ones, and stayed perfectly controlled. Personally, I wasn’t as moved by this performance — but that’s really a matter of personal taste.
Shiri said:
“You’re such a good singer. That was a flawless performance. It was amazing. I felt you were deeply connected to the lyrics. You’re suited to represent Israel at Eurovision”.
Keren said:
“What amazes me most is that you don’t imitate anyone. You have no mannerisms. Every song, you sing as Noam. You’re phenomenal”.
Assaf concluded:
“I really wanted to vote against you — but I couldn’t find a reason”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Noam received 96%.
After the judges’ desicision between Tamir and Eitan, Eitan Aharon became the Eleventh 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.
