From 2015 to 2021, Israel did not miss a single Eurovision final. The connection that ties all these years together? The national final to select their representatives was Keshet’s Next Star. For those who liked the artist selection show, Israel unveiled some good news on Monday — Next Star is back.

Next Star returns as Israeli Eurovision selection in 2024

In a Facebook post on Monday, Israel’s national broadcaster KAN confirmed it was opting to select the country’s Eurovision 2024 representative via Next Star (known in Israel as HaKokhav HaBa). Eurovision fans will be familiar with the national final, which ran from 2015 to 2020. The artist selection also chose the song once, in the 2016 final.

The Middle Eastern nation first introduced the artist selection in 2015, after four years in which they switched back and forth between the legendary Kdam and internal selections. These four years resulted in four non-qualifications, which led Israel to try a new system. No artist selected through Next Star missed the final, and 2018’s Netta even brought the nation a fourth Eurovision victory.

Why Next Star?

While the results that artists chosen through Next Star scored at Eurovision perhaps speak for themselves, there’s a deeper reason why Israel is returning to the 2015-2020 selection system.

Every year, Israeli broadcaster KAN holds an open call for producers interested in hosting the Israeli selection. After six years of Next Star, competitor X Factor surprisingly won it in 2022. Its winner, Michael Ben David, unfortunately scored Israel’s worst result in eight years.

Then in 2023, no producers stepped up to produce the selection — at all. This led KAN to choose Noa Kirel internally, and that ended quite well for Israel, who placed third in Liverpool. Usually, one doesn’t fix what isn’t broken, but now that the hype for Eurovision in Israel is higher than ever, producers came knocking on KAN’s door. The open call was won by Next Star, and that leads us to where we are now.

What do you think of the decision? Are you excited for Next Star’s return in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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DOMINOD
DOMINOD
1 year ago

In gambling, the leader is Aden Golan, a girl who immigrated to Israel a year ago from Moscow, I wish she didn’t win,

Ana
Ana
1 year ago

There are not a whole lot of famous Israeli artists that would want to do Eurovision. Noa Kirel was an exception because she tries to develop an international career. But most of the successful Israeli artists don’t have such intentions and won’t benefit from the huge effort which is ESC participation. So I guess if KAN would stick with the format of choosing A list artists internally they would run out of willing candidates pretty fast.

L'oiseau
L'oiseau
1 year ago

This is a false question. From what I remember the actual song is always chosen by internal selection. It is the artist that is up to competition. And it is the song, that makes or breaks a good performance

Andy
Andy
1 year ago

It should’ve been internally selected Nasreen Qadri.. I suggest you to check out some of her musical works

Baby
Baby
1 year ago

Curious how we already have two countries changing up their selection process. Spain finding basically a whole new team after digging themselves up from the grave these last two years( lets remember even tho Blanca didnt get the result many had hoped for she did miles better than spain Pre benidorm.) And Israel could have won in another year with Noa had it not been such a two horse race between Finland and Sweden

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
1 year ago
Reply to  Baby

Israel has had a lot of succes with the next star format also though. Noa Kirel was probably the exception to the rule that made them not hold a national final. (+ there’s always drama around the contracts around the show format producer for some reason)

Maya G
Maya G
1 year ago

This is quite upsetting for most Israeli fans. It’s true that the Israeli renaissance is 100% thanks to the cooperation with Rising Star, they got us regularly qualifying after a long dry spell and gave Israel its 4th victory. They brought the Eurovision brand back from the dead in Israel, and I’m sure Noa Kirel wouldn’t have even considered going to Eurovision if Rising Star hasn’t restored the contest’s legitimacy here. However it seemed that Rising Star was a recipe for a safe, mediocre entries. Nadav and Netta were the exception, the rest of the Rising Star entries were aiming… Read more »

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago

i was hoping for an anna zak internal selection or something like that

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago

There was a lot of head scratching from this announcement, but I think the main reason why it’s being brought back is the cost of participation. Yes, Israel did very well this year with third-place finished with Noa, but it was probably very expensive to pull off, and I don’t think the broadcaster can afford to do that with such an internal selection like that every year. The quote from another eurovision news article reporting on this “Israeli Eurovision site EuroMix reports that the decision to return to a national selection was influenced by the cost of participating in Eurovision… Read more »

Matt
Matt
1 year ago

The positive side of this decision is that a lot of new artists and non-established singers might get a chance to show their talent. The down side is that it is it is a LONG TV show (not even a national selection) and many people will likely not watch it unless they’re a big fan of the show or a super super Eurovision fan trying to predict everything

Dan
Dan
1 year ago

I would’ve really like either Inbal Bibi or Ella Lee to be selected internally to represent Israel next year, but I guess they may have been too similar to Noa. Looking forward to following this selection show, as Israel & The Next Star usually deliver quality

Deven O'Kearney
Deven O'Kearney
1 year ago

Good move. It has only delivered qualifiers and a winner for Israel since it was first used in 2015.

Devito
Devito
1 year ago

It has become pain in the as* to follow all the national selections in the following years. So many countries came back to pick their entries via public vote, I think the number is close to 20 now. It’s fascinating and exhausting at the same time. If only these national selections would have some proper planning we could enjoy the season from December to March. Ukraine and Albania did prove this year it’s not about February end to March release to get good results. Sadly, in reality we have to deal with +10 shows per night on February most of… Read more »

Nikki
Nikki
1 year ago
Reply to  Devito

i only really follow Sanremo, because, you know, I am a huge Italian music fan, so, it’s always good and fun and full of personal faves for me. i like to do MGP and UMK too if I can (Sanremo permits it), because I also kinda like the music scene in Norway and Finland.

I’ll watch Mello, but only the final, after they got rid of all the fiilers.

Thanos
Thanos
1 year ago
Reply to  Nikki

More or less I also follow exactly the same NFs as you and with the same order of preference! One extra NF I more often than not follow is Eesti Laul (and perhaps Festival da Cancao and Benidorm Fest).

Zisk
Zisk
1 year ago

How do you see Noa’s success and say “lets not do that again”??

nope
nope
1 year ago
Reply to  Zisk

Well, Netta won with this exact format

Gil
Gil
1 year ago
Reply to  Zisk

The issue is that Noa invested lots of her own money on the show, she could do it, but most other artists dont have that much money to invest. So i guessthey go with the next star in order to have big budget for next year. KAN alone cant invest that much money, noa was exception cause she invested her own money

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Gil

I think you hit the nail why the reviving the selection. I think it is clearly a monetary issue. Yes, Israel did very well with a bronze medal this year, but it was likely very expensive to produce even with Noah’s resources, and I don’t think the broadcaster can afford to throw a lot of money on that type of show year after year.

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
1 year ago
Reply to  Gil

of course Noa can afford that, she’s very successful herself (but tbh also comes from a relatively well off family, her dad being a CEO for a decently successful glass company)

internal selection was only option for her, other artists in Israel do not have these privileges i think and tbh that NF had been delivering a great streak of qualifying results and a win so it makes sense they are returning to that

noname
noname
1 year ago

Back to SF for us
Stupid decision

Vinzi
Vinzi
1 year ago

How many revamps will we get this time, that 2021 way where the song changed almost weekly was just like watching a fish out of water flop up and down.

Ana
Ana
1 year ago

It comes down to money, KAN have an interest to split the participation costs with a commercial broadcaster. They are still paying the bill for Eurovision 2019. On the other hand, Israeli entries at least have decent stagings and budget compared to IBA’s last years.

Noam600
Noam600
1 year ago

I’m tired of these shows, I’m not going to watch it… I’ll wait for the music video to be revealed.. The song that will be chosen is the most important thing.

Gil
Gil
1 year ago

Hope that the good and experienced artist will come to compete, its hard for a famous artist to compete with some unknown young singers, will see what happens cause israel fans want the ones they are famolier with much more

MoGu
MoGu
1 year ago
Reply to  Gil

I prefere new, young artists in ESC. Your statement does not make sense.

Gil
Gil
1 year ago
Reply to  MoGu

I think that for eurovision you must be experienced and have a clear identity which is not the case with too younge artists.

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
1 year ago
Reply to  Gil

you have famous (more known than most young singers) and MEGA famous on levels of Noa Kirel – superstar

and tbh some who do have some form of fanbase still could want to see what the israel fans think of them in a national selection show, also good for them to gain that extra experience for their careers, to see what they can improve upon still too