Israel Has a New Eurovision Name: Noam Bettan Wins HaKokhav HaBa2026
The waiting is over. Israel has made its choice — and this time, it came with a proper build-up, a two-round final, and more than a few emotions running through the room.
Noam Bettan has been crowned the winner of HaKokhav HaBa – Eurovision 2026 Edition, earning the right to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
No shortcuts, no surprise envelopes. Bettan won by convincing both the juries and the public — which, in Eurovision terms, is usually a good sign.
A Final Built in Two Acts
The final unfolded in two clear stages.
In the first round, the four finalists — Alona Erez, Gal de Paz, Shira Zloof and Noam Bettan — each performed a song in Hebrew. It was a round that leaned heavily on identity and interpretation rather than spectacle. At the end of it, Alona Erez was eliminated.
Round two changed the mood. The remaining three artists returned with international hits, and this time the winner was decided by a combined vote: televote, the show’s jury, and an additional professional jury.
And once the numbers were in, the result was decisive.
The Votes, Clearly
Jury + additional jury
- Noam Bettan – 72
- Gal de Paz – 60
- Shira Zloof – 48
Televote
- Noam Bettan – 192
- Gal de Paz – 94
- Shira Zloof – 74
Across both systems, Bettan came out comfortably ahead — no tie-break tension, no late twists. Just a clear winner.
The Song Will Come Later (As Tradition Demands)
In true HaKokhav HaBa fashion, the Eurovision song itself was not chosen during the final. Instead, Israel will now move into an internal selection process, with Bettan’s Eurovision entry set to be revealed in March.
It’s a system fans know well by now: first the artist, then the song, then the long months of speculation.
A Moment of Unity on Stage
Throughout the broadcast, the finalists used their time on stage to send messages of love and peace, referencing the ongoing situation in Gaza. It was a reminder that, for all the competition and voting graphics, this was still a very human evening — one shaped by the wider reality outside the studio.
Taking Over from a Strong Predecessor
Noam Bettan will now follow in the footsteps of Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel last year in Basel and finished second with “A New Day Will Rise”. Big shoes, then — but also a solid platform to build from.
For now, Bettan has done the hardest part: winning the ticket.
The rest — the song, the staging, the expectations — will come soon enough.
