HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 5: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 5: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 5: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Itay Evron, Bar Nir, David Ossona, Stav Vaknin and Portrait Band. Tonight, the fifth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next round thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Dana International joining as guest judges. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Itay Evron Itay Evron, 23 years old from Ziona, plays the piano and is a student at the Rimon School, where he met Keren Peles and performed with her...
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Iceland Backtracks? Signs of a Lift on the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026

Iceland Backtracks? Signs of a Lift on the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland nears a decision on Eurovision 2026 participation as sweeping voting reforms might lead its national broadcaster to withdraw its boycott pledge if Israel remains part of the competition. The Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV released a statement from its Director General, Stefán Eiríksson, regarding the Eurovision law reform: “This is clearly a step in the right direction”. Eiríksson appears to welcome the changes, viewing them as a constructive response to criticism surrounding last year’s contest—mainly regarding Israel’s participation. He expressed optimism about the new rules, while hinting that RÚV is still carefully assessing the overall situation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland Slowly Returns, Politics Still Hold the Stage This position marks a stark contrast to that of countries opposing Israel’s participation, which expressed strong dissatisfaction with the EBU’s announcement of a major Eurovision 2026 voting system reform. The turnaround - intended to rebuild public trust by strengthening the influence of professional juries who withheld votes from Israel over the...
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Countries Opposing Israel’s Participation in Eurovision React to the EBU Statement

Countries Opposing Israel’s Participation in Eurovision React to the EBU Statement

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A day of drama: TV networks opposing Israel's participation in Eurovision respond critically to the EBU’s statement, expressing strong dissatisfaction and signaling growing tension ahead of the December assembly. The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reported today that the discussion regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, scheduled for December 4th as part of the organization’s general assembly, has been entirely canceled. According to the report, the EBU decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in Eurovision as usual. The countries opposing Israel’s participation - Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia - issued statements, some defiant in tone, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the decision. It should be noted that the EBU has not confirmed the report, and the discussion and potential vote on Israel’s participation remain on the agenda as long as no official confirmation has been received. Therefore, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is still not guaranteed. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This morning, the European...
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Drama: Has the Discussion on Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 2026 Been Cancelled?

Drama: Has the Discussion on Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 2026 Been Cancelled?

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israel in Eurovision: According to Norway’s national broadcaster, NRK, the planned discussion on Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 has been cancelled, reportedly allowing Israel to compete in the contest as usual. The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reports that the discussion concerning Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, which was scheduled for December 4 as part of the organization’s General Assembly, has been entirely cancelled. According to NRK, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in the contest as usual. For the issue to be reopened for a vote, member broadcasters would have to agree that the newly approved guidelines “do not sufficiently protect neutrality and impartiality in the competition.” It should be noted that the EBU has not confirmed the Norwegian report. Therefore, both the discussion concerning Israel and any potential vote that may result from it remain pending until such confirmation is provided. Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is therefore not yet guaranteed. ...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 4: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 4: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

by Tal Dahan Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 4: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Tamir Levy, Dylan Morgan, Lior Kakon, Ori Aharon, and Eitan Aharon. Tonight, the fourth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next stage thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Dana International and Shay Kerem joining as guest judges. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Tamir Levy Tamir, 23 years old, originally from Hod Hasharon and currently living in Tel Aviv, works as a waiter and a musician, and even...
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Eurovision 2026: How Will the Postcards Accompanying the Contest Look Like?

Eurovision 2026: How Will the Postcards Accompanying the Contest Look Like?

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Austria’s national broadcaster ORF reveals how the Eurovision 2026 postcards will look, along with new details about filming, design inspiration, and ticket sales opening soon for Vienna’s contest. Austria’s national broadcaster, ORF, responsible for producing Eurovision 2026, has revealed fresh details about the upcoming contest that will take place in Vienna. Among them are new insights into the postcards that will feature each participating country and artist, describing their creative direction and visual style in detail. The broadcaster also announced the early registration date for Eurovision 2026 tickets — next Monday, November 24th. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Postcards: A New Artistic Vision Originally introduced to maintain broadcast flow and keep viewers engaged while stage crews prepared for the next act, the postcards have become a beloved Eurovision tradition. They draw great anticipation among fans, many of whom eagerly await each year's unique concept. According to ORF’s description, every postcard begins with a shot of the artist receiving a...
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Spain: RTVE Makes Another Statement Against Israel’s Participation in Eurovision

Spain: RTVE Makes Another Statement Against Israel’s Participation in Eurovision

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Following the meeting between the Austrian broadcaster’s CEO and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Spain’s broadcaster president accuses Eurovision’s host of politicization and levels harsh criticism. The rift among Europe’s broadcasters continues to deepen. The president of the Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, José Pablo López, launched an unprecedented public attack today against the Austrian national broadcaster — host of Eurovision 2026 — and the EBU. The trigger was the widely reported visit by top Austrian TV officials to Jerusalem and their meeting with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog — a move López claims exposes “the politicization of the contest” and bias in favor of Israel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); López’s remarks came in response to reports suggesting Austrian officials are engaging in talks to persuade Spain and others not to withdraw from the contest in protest of Israel’s participation. Austria’s broadcaster CEO Roland Weissmann recently declared it was “Time for diplomacy within the EBU, [...] We will discuss, talk, listen, and try to persuade”. Weissmann’s statement referred...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 3: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 3: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 3: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Elior Shemesh, Ori Berko, Gal De Paz, Avi Assor, and Dorin Or. Tonight, the third episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next stage thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Elior Shemesh Elior Shemesh, 25, from Rosh HaAyin, is a musician, producer, and songwriter. She comes from a religious home and once hid from her father the fact that she sings and attends auditions. She met her...
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 2: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 2: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

by Adiel Shtainmetz Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 2: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Tair Adanek, Shira Zloof, Shaked Solomon, Shaia Avitan, and Noam Bettan "HaKokhav HaBa" for Eurovision 2026 - Continuing the journey to choose the Israeli representative! The new season of HaKokhav HaBa continued today with the second episode of auditions. The episode opened with a review of the contestants who passed the auditions in the first episode that aired on Tuesday. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Tair Adanek A 16 and a half years old from Kiryat Gat, the younger sister of singer Ofek Adanak, who competed on the show in the past. She sang the song "If I Ain't Got You" (originally by Alicia Keys). Tair sang with remarkable confidence, plenty of personal charm, and impressive vocal control. Her performance shows that star quality, at least in this case, runs in the family. Asaf said: “We’re talking about a singer with amazing control, ease, and grace....
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HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 1: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 1: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 1: The new season of "HaKokhav HaBa" for Eurovision 2026 began tonight. Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Alona Erez, Daniel Shevtsov, Gili Tsanaani, Tzahala Gazit, and Agam Hazan. "HaKokhav HaBa" for Eurovision 2026 - Here we start!!! The new season of "HaKokhav HaBa" officially kicked off tonight, bringing a wave of excitement both in the studio and among viewers at home. The season premiere promises once again to deliver the perfect blend of music, talent, and hope - to find Israel’s next Eurovision star, who might finally bring the long-awaited victory. The episode opened with a touching look back at Yuval Raphael’s journey to last year's Eurovision Song Contest. Raphael then took the stage to perform a short segment from her song, which captivated the international audience and secured Israel an impressive second place in Basel. This season’s well-known judges returned to the panel: Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi....
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