Israel’s Eurovision 2026 entry has been chosen: Noam Bettan will perform a trilingual song by Yuval Raphael, Nadav Aharoni and Tslil Klifi, selected by a professional committee.
The Israeli national broadcaster “KAN 11” has confirmed that Israel’s song for Eurovision 2026 has been selected. The track, to be performed by Noam Bettan in May in Vienna, was written by Yuval Raphael, Tslil Klifi and Nadav Aharoni. It marks a shift away from ballads for the first time in two years and will feature lyrics in Hebrew, French and English. The song will now be submitted for final approval by the EBU.
Eurovision 2026: Committee Reaches Decision
The choice of Noam Bettan’s song came after an extensive selection process, during which around 200 entries were submitted anonymously to the committee. Approximately 40 songs advanced to a deeper discussion stage, and ultimately four songs reached the final round.
In recent days, Noam Bettan recorded all four finalist songs to allow committee members to evaluate his full performance as Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2026. He played an active role as an artist and creator in shaping the final versions of all four tracks submitted to the panel. The decision was taken by secret ballot under close legal supervision by the broadcaster’s legal department.
Who is behind Noam Bettan’s Eurovision song?
Israel’s Eurovision 2026 entry was written by Yuval Raphael, Tslil Klifi and Nadav Aharoni – three prominent figures in the Israeli music scene, with Yuval Raphael herself having represented Israel at last year’s contest as a vocalist. Because one of the songwriters is Yuval Raphael, the committee adopted an exceptional measure: the representative of Teddy Productions recused himself from the discussion and vote on this specific song, in order to maintain transparency and avoid any conflict of interest.
Yuval Raphael co‑wrote the song’s lyrics. Last year, she represented Israel at Eurovision with the song “New Day Will Rise” (written by Keren Peles and Tomer Biran), without being involved in its writing. However, her songwriting skills are well known in the industry: in October, she released her EP featuring tracks she helped write, including the sonngs “Uma Itkha” and “Yidalek HaOr”.
Tslil Klifi co‑wrote both lyrics and composition. Klifi is regarded as one of the most successful and influential songwriters in Israeli pop, with a long list of hits including “Masa” by Eliad Nahum, “Holekhet Itkha” by Narkis, “Bridezilla” by Noa Kirel and more. Klifi also has direct Eurovision experience: in 2020 she wrote “Rakata” for Eden Alene, which placed third in the “HaShir HaBa for Eurovision” selection. In 2022 she contributed to “Marionette”, chosen for Inbal Bibi in the fourth season finale of “X Factor for Eurovision”, where it finished third.
Nadav Aharoni is responsible for the lyrics, composition and musical production of the song. Aharoni has penned numerous major hits, including “Khatzi Meshuga’at” by Nasreen Kadri, “HaBallada LaMekhakot” by Narkis, “Lo Tireh Oti Bokhe” by Eden Hasson and “Bridezilla” by Noa Kirel. He is also the musical producer behind Noam Bettan’s hit “Madame”, a collaboration that will now continue onto the Eurovision Song Contest stage.
How Israel’s Eurovision selection committee worked
Around two weeks ago, the final of “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision” took place, where Noam Bettan won and was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision 2026, to be held this May in Vienna, Austria.
In parallel to the TV season, the national broadcaster opened a submissions window for songs from December 21st to January 26th. The broadcaster stressed that songs could be submitted in any language, but must include at least a few lines in Hebrew – a requirement that remains in place this year.
The selection committee was chaired by Barak Itzkovich, head of KAN’s music stations. It included senior music editors from the broadcaster, leading professionals from Israel’s music and television industries, and a public representative. Committee members listened to all submitted songs without knowing the identities of their writers, a procedure designed to prevent bias and ensure a strictly professional choice.
The song will be unveiled in a special presentation show on KAN 11 on March 5th.
Israel in Eurovision 2026
Noam Bettan was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 12th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. The song he will perform at Eurovision 2026 will be decided by a joint internal committee of the national broadcaster and Keshet 12. It will be unveiled in early March. Currently, Israel ranks first in the Eurovision betting charts.
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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Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
