Israel: From 'The X Factor Israel' Final to Turin 🇮🇱

Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/KAN) is collaborating with the commercial broadcaster Reshet to select the Israeli entry for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, via the 4th series of The X Factor Israel. The series has been airing since late October, in that time whittling down artists over various stages, culminating in an exciting live final which takes place on Saturday 5 February, and which will decide not just a winner of the series, but also the artist and song which Israel will be sending to represent them at the Contest in Turin.

📺 TUNE IN: The X Factor Israel 2022 final will begin at 20:30 CET on Saturday 5 February. It will stream live on Reshet 13, for those able to access it.

The Acts

After the initial auditions, 33 lucky participants made it through to the next stage of the competition, before a line-up of 17 was selected to move forward to the live shows. Over the last 6 weeks, a quick succession of eliminations has seen to it that the hopeful 17 have been reduced to our popular final 4; and it will be one of those 4 that wins on Saturday night, becoming Israel’s participant in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in the process.

The Songs

What’s a Eurovision hopeful without a Eurovision song, however?… and those potential Eurovision songs were entered into the mix on 30 January. KAN had received 130 songs submitted for the 2022 Contest, with a professional jury narrowing the field down to just 8 songs, and with 2 of those being assigned to and recorded by each of our 4 participants once they’d gotten the thrilling news that they were the chosen finalists.

The 8 recordings were played on Israeli radio station Kan Gimel on 30 January, with the public being able to vote through KAN’s official website and app until 3 February. A combination of these votes as well as votes from a jury then selected 1 song per artist to advance to Saturday night’s grand final, revealed during a special televised broadcast, HaShir Shelanu L’Eurovizion (Our Song for Eurovision) on Thursday evening.

The Final 4

We now have the 4 hopefuls who will compete in Saturday evening’s final of The X Factor Israel, and the 4 songs that they will be singing. Only 1 of them will secure victory on the night, claiming that ticket to Turin.

Eli Huli – Blinded Dreamers

23-year-old Eli Huli is a composer who has co-written his potential Eurovision song Blinded Dreamers, a song about listening to the demands of the heart, regardless of where that may take you. He cites his passion for music as having been a large contributing factor in overcoming anxiety attacks, something which has led to him being hospitalised in the past.

🎶 Listen: Eli Huli – Blinded Dreamers

Inbal Bibi – Marionette

Born and raised in Meitar, in the Southern District of Israel, 23-year-old Inbal Bibi has been pursuing a career in singing and acting since she was a child. Her own experiences in the entertainment industry have led her to become a prominent figure in Tel Aviv’s annual SlutWalk demonstrations, protesting against violence towards women. Her song Marionette speaks of the inner turmoil one can face while on a public platform.

🎶 Listen: Inbal Bibi – Marionette

Sapir Saban – Breaking My Own Walls

Sapir Saban is no stranger to the potential highs of a TV talent show, having competed in and won the 2017 series of The Voice Israel. She studied civil engineering at university, but has put that passion on hold while her career as a recording artist and musical theatre performer has taken off. Fittingly, in her song Breaking My Own Walls, she sings about challenging yourself to reconsider any preconceived limits you may have placed on yourself.

🎶 Listen: Sapir Saban – Breaking My Own Walls

Michael Ben-David – I.M

Michael Ben-David is 25 years of age and hails from Petah Tikva, a city in the Central District of Israel that lies just 10 kilometres east of Tel Aviv. He’s spoken quite openly on the show about the difficulties he faced as a child, from being bullied at school for singing in a high-pitched voice, to the trouble that his mother initially had accepting him when he came out as gay. Michael has noted that this has contributed to him finding a lot of inner strength in himself, a trait which has been noted and encouraged by his X Factor Israel mentors. His song I.M is a suitably themed anthem of self-acceptance.

🎶 Listen: Michael Ben-David – I.M

Saturday Night’s Result

Israel’s entry to the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will be selected in 2 rounds. In the 1st round, our 4 finalists will each perform a cover song, with 1 being eliminated shortly afterwards. In the 2nd round, our 3 remaining finalists will perform their potential Eurovision entries and the winner will be selected by a combination of a public vote (50%) and 2 jury groups, 1 consisting of The X Factor Israel judges (including the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 winner Netta!) and another made up of a professional committee, with both contributing 25% of the vote.

It’s sure to be a hotly contested evening of music competition and entertainment at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, putting the eventual winner in good stead for the experience that lies ahead of them in Turin in May.

And let us know what you think via the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook channels.