Shaked Solomon is the seventeenth contestant to bid farewell to HaKokhav HaBa. The final 4 contestants are Shira Zloof, Gal De Paz, Alona Erez and Noam Bettan. The grand final set to take place this coming Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. Full recap of Episode 32.
In 3 days, the grand final of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2026” will take place, featuring four finalists. The winner of the competition will represent Israel in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th.
5 contestants remain in the semi-final, but by the end of tonight’s episode, we will know who will be the final 4!
In this episode, each contestant performed a song of their choice. Joining the panel were the Eurovision commentators and representatives of the national broadcaster, Asaf Liberman and Akiva Novick. This time, the judges did not vote “in favor” or “against” during the performances, instead, they awarded scores ranging from 6 to 12 points at the end of each performance. The judges’ scores made up 50% of the total result, with audience votes accounting for the remaining 50%. The two contestants with the lowest combined scores faced elimination, and the judging panel selected which of the two would leave the competition.
Alona Erez
Alona Erez chose to perform the song “You’re The Reason” (originally by Calum Scott). She delivered a precise, beautiful, and deeply moving performance – perfectly suited to the advanced stage she has reached. It was likely one of her best performances this season, as she was both emotional and accurate.
Assaf said:
“Amazing. I think this was one of your best performances. The confidence you radiated started with that smile you gave us, which instantly lifted the atmosphere. It was simply a reason to live”.
Eden said:
“I really want to commend the moment you realized you had to go all in and threw yourself entirely into this performance. That’s where I found the Alona I’ve been looking for”.
Shiri said:
“I think this was your best performance, but I can still hear the inexperience in your vocal choices”.
Keren, and Assaf gave her 12 points, while the others gave 10. Alona earned a total of 64 points.
Shaked Solomon
Shaked Solomon chose to perform the song “Omed BaSha’ar” (originally by Amir Benayoun). He began with his signature soft and gentle voice. He is an excellent singer – there’s no question about that – but it simply didn’t work this time. Among the five contestants, he seems the least ready for the big stage in Vienna.
Itay said:
“Brother, I love you. You have a unique tone and vocal signature, and you know exactly what you’re doing. But you have to work on your timing issues, which sometimes affect the quality of your performance”.
Eden said:
“You’re one of the best singers here, and if you weren’t, you wouldn’t still be in the competition. Whether this is what I’m looking for in Eurovision – I’m still not sure”.
Shiri said:
“You have great vocal dynamics. You’re a true singer at heart. So far, I felt I could rely on you, but now I’m not sure this is enough for Eurovision”.
Keren and Itay gave 10 points each, while Shiri, Asaf & Akiva and Eden also gave 10, and Assaf gave 7. Shaked earned a total of 53 points.
Gal De Paz
Gal De Paz chose to perform the song “Oscar Winning Tears” (originally by RAYE). Perhaps the most versatile singer of the season, she delivers a different performance every episode – and wow, what a vocalist! This performance was truly special, everything was on point, from her voice to the dress and her distinctive stage presence.
Eden said:
“I’m overwhelmed by this performance, especially the last part. It was like a kettle that takes time to boil — and when it did, everything spilled over.”
Keren said:
“Wow, you’re something else. You blow my mind even without relying on your voice alone. What a force of nature — what a woman, Gal! What a woman! You could be such an incredible representative”.
Assaf said:
“I like Gal De Paz singing in English, but when she sings in Hebrew — that’s when I melt, that’s when I fall in love. For me, we’ve reached an incredible high. Gal De Paz in Hebrew — wow”.
Keren, Shiri, Eden and Asaf & Akiva gave 12 points each, while Assaf and Itay gave 10. Gal received a total of 68 points.
Shira Zloof
Shira Zloof chose to perform the song “BaKhom Shel Tel Aviv” (originally by Sarit Hadad). Shira deserves great respect – she’s fighting with all her strength for a spot in the final, and it’s clear how much she wants it. To be completely honest, this wasn’t her best performance, it happens, but she truly deserves a place in the final. Her voice will return to full power by then.
Eden said:
“Shira, I admire you. I appreciate the strength you give yourself and the fact that you never give up. But I can’t ignore how close we are to the final, to Eurovision. I’m a bit unsure about how I want to see this whole show unfold”.
Shiri said:
“We need to think about what would happen if this were Eurovision. In the end, we can’t ignore the fact that we found you standing here on this stage without a voice”.
Assaf said:
“We’re trying not to talk about the elephant in the room — you don’t have a voice. It’s not funny, and after all, this is a singing competition, not a personality contest. If this were your audition, you wouldn’t have been accepted”.
Keren, Itay, Asaf & Akiva, and Assaf gave 10 points each. Shiri and Eden gave 8. Shira earned a total of 56 points.
Noam Bettan
Noam Bettan chose to perform the song “Formidable” (originally by Stromae). Noam sang excellently as always. Those who remember him from the show “Aviv or Eyal” will recall this performance fondly – it’s clear this isn’t the first time he’s performed this song. Noam is an outstanding and unique singer with a rough yet beautiful tone. Wow, Noam, well done.
Eden said:
“I think we have our representative right in front of us. Nothing could be clearer than that. Anything more I say would only ruin it — you’ve got the full package”.
Keren said:
“I felt myself forgetting we’re even in the context of a competition. I was simply watching a great artist, performing phenomenally, and I enjoyed every moment”.
Itay said:
“I’m proud of you, brother. That was amazing”.
Assaf said:
“I wasn’t blown away or surprised. It was excellent, really great. My opinion is that it wasn’t extraordinary – but your ‘ordinary’ is at a very high level”.
Keren, Shiri, Eden, Itay and Asaf & Akiva each gave 12 points, while Assaf gave 10. Noam earned a total of 70 points.
Alona and Shaked were nominated for elimination after receiving the lowest scores from the judges and of the evening. Shaked Solomon became the Seventeenth contestant eliminated from the show, just a moment before the grand final.
“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.
