Tamir Levy is the thirteenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. 8 contestants remain in the race, including Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, and Shaked Solomon. Full recap of Episode 28.
In 10 days, 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.
9 contestants remain in the competition so far, but by the end of tonight’s episode, only the top 8 will continue.
The episode aired this evening was the first of two in the Shlomo Artzi special, in which each contestant chose a song by one of Israel’s leading singers, who also represented the country at Eurovision 1975 with his song “At VaAni“. Artzi himself took part in the show for the first time, and the contestants rehearsed before him. Before the elimination announcement, Artzi performed his song “Kmo Az” together with the nine contestants.
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.
Tamir Levy
Tamir Levy chose to perform the song “Nivreti Lach”. The arrangement was heavy and rock-infused, fitting well with Tamir’s raw vocal tone. He sang the first verse in a low key that suited him perfectly. In the chorus, he rose to higher notes, delivering a gentle and touching performance that reflected the song’s vulnerable lyrics. Toward the end, Tamir gave it everything he had — one of his most impressive performances this season.
Shiri began:
“That was a spectacular vocal performance, you convinced me”.
Keren added:
“It connected to a real cry from your wound — it touched me. I suggest you try to find more shades. You’re an excellent singer. You have explosive charisma”.
Eden continued:
“I want to see a singer who can touch all my emotions. Your vocal performance was amazing”.
Assaf explained his vote against:
“You get too absorbed in the role — that’s what slightly bothers me. You’re a good singer, you still demonstrate it every time”.
Four judges voted in his favor, Assaf voted against. Tamir received 79%, setting the bar for the next contestant — hoping they score lower.
Shira Zloof
Shira Zloof chose the song “Iceland”. She began with precise vocals and sounded deeply emotional, as if she meant every word she sang. Later, she added a verse she had written herself, performed at a faster pace, and the return to the chorus was especially beautiful.
Keren said:
“You connect to the lyrics so well. Since Shay Hamber, I haven’t been this moved to meet a creator who represents both the present and the future”.
Assaf added:
“I agree with Keren — you made it clear why she’s right. This is a different kind of intelligence; it’s an added value when you know how to use words”.
Eden said:
“I want this performance on my phone”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Shira received 92% and takes the lead.
Shaked Solomon
Shaked Solomon chose to perform the song “Sadot Shel Irusim”. The arrangement evolved from a simple piano-and-vocal start to the addition of drums and guitars at the end of the chorus. Shaked delivered oriental-style vocal runs reminiscent of Yehuda Saado’s famous rendition. It looks like the performance felt lukewarm — the song was too big for Shaked, and he wasn’t able to convey its full emotional power.
Eden commented:
“I wanted to see more from you besides emotion. You’re an incredible singer, I really like you”.
Shiri said:
“The diction wasn’t good — it was scattered”.
Keren added:
“Every time I’m surprised again by how well you sing”.
Assaf, Keren and Eden voted against him. Shaked received 55% and stands at risk of elimination.
Gal De Paz
Gal De Paz chose to perform the song “Akhrei Hakol At Shir”. It was refreshing to hear Gal singing in Hebrew — and she did so beautifully. In an interview, she shared that she dedicated the song to her father, who loved it. The performance was clean and intimate, deeply moving to the point of tears. It was wonderful to see that Gal can also deliver a heartfelt ballad in such a convincing, steady, and emotional way.
Shiri said:
“Suddenly I saw the little girl — the sweetest, most innocent face — all the memories that surfaced for you. Everything came through in this clean and simple performance. You’re phenomenal”.
Itay said:
“You need to bring that emotion, truth, and sincerity into every one of your performances”.
Assaf said:
“In Hebrew, I heard a different persona. You put your whole heart into the song. It was a beautiful work of art”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Gal received 81%, nominating Tamir and Shaked for Elimination.
After the judges’ desicision between Tamir and Shaked, Tamir Levy became the Thirteenth 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.
