This morning, the Eurovision entry for Israel was chosen through the show 'The X Factor Israel'.
Michael Ben David (מיכאל בן דוד) with the song 'I.M' was selected out of a shortlist of four artists on the final night.
Michael Ben David is from Petah Tikva, a town just outside Tel Aviv, and is 25-years-old. Michael has Russian/Ukrainian and Georgian roots, and was subject to homophobic bullying from a young age. After completing his army service, Ben David studied acting for a few years. His cover of a Hebrew song called 'Mother' during the show was a particularly heart-wrenching moment, as Michael's relationship with his mother was tested when he was a child; his mum joined him on stage for the last part of the song whih was truly magic.
The format saw one artist, Sapir Saban, eliminated in the first round with the artists performing covers.
The second round saw the three remaining artists Inbal Bibi, Eli Huli and Michael Ben David, perform their original songs with the winner chosen by a combination of 50% public vote and 50% jury (X Factor Israel judges and a professional contributing).
Israel first competed at Eurovision in 1973 and have won the Contest four times. Eden Alene finished 17th in 2021 with 'Set Me Free'.
Israel will compete in the second semi-final of Eurovision (same as Australia) on May 12 in Turin.
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