Israel: Noam Bettan selected for Eurovision 2026
The Final of Israel's HaKokhav HaBa was held tonight with four artists fighting for the throne. The Israeli representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be Noam Bettan
The Final of talent show HaKokhav HaBa in Israel was held tonight in Neve Ilan.
The first show of talent show HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star / הכוכב הבא) was aired back in November 2025, and after numerous auditions and elimination rounds it was time for the Final tonight. The Final was held in Neve Ilan and hosted by Assi Azar (host of Eurovision 2019) and Rotem Sela.
The four finalists performed covers of songs, and the top-3 advanced to the Superfinal. Here, the three participants who were still in the competition each sang a song, and then it was time for the final vote.
And... Yuval Raphael's successor for Eurovision is: Noam Bettan.
HaKokhav HaBa – Final
First round
| Voting | Public voting Judges |
Superfinal
| Voting | 50% public voting 50% judges |
The song that Noam Bettan will sing on the Eurovision stage in May will be selected internally by a committee. The song is expected to include words in French in addition to Hebrew and English.
Noam Bettan
Noam Bettan, 27, grew up in Ra’anana, Israel, to French parents who had lived in the French city of Grenoble before immigrating to Israel with their two older sons. Bettan himself was born in Israel, and he speaks French in addition to Hebrew and English.
In 2018, he competed on another musical reality show, Aviv or Eyal, where he finished in third place. As a singer-songwriter, Bettan writes most of his own songs. In 2021, he released his first single, and songs such as “Buba” and “Madam” achieved local success as part of his artistic development.
Ten years ago, when he was only 16 or 17 years old, Bettan auditioned for The Next Star but failed to pass. At the time, Yoav Tzafir, the show’s director, insisted that Bettan audition again the following day; however, once again, the judges did not give him enough points.
Noam Bettan reaction right after his victory:
– I’m so excited! What an incredible honor to represent the country and to be the voice of our people on such a huge stage. Thank you for your trust and love! Thank you for choosing me! I promise to give my all at the upcoming Eurovision in Austria.
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest
Israel has participated in Eurovision 46 times since their debut in 1973. They have won the contest four times:
- 1978: Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta - Abanibi
- 1979: Milk and Honey - Hallelujah
- 1998: Dana International - Diva
- 2018: Netta Barzilai - Toy
Israel has never finished last in the contest! Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Israel has qualified for the Grand Final 13 out of 20 times.
