Israel progresses to Eurovision grand final
Hovi Star, successful at Thursday's semfinal, will compete on Saturday night in Stockholm; Star: 'I'm so happy that I can give this gift to my country.'
Israel's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest, Hovi Star, succeeded on Thursday night in Stockholm in progressing from the semifinals to the grand final, to be held on Saturday night. He will compete alongside representatives from 25 other countries that are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
The 29-year-old Israeli from the north of the country performed the song "Made of Stars," written and composed by Doron Medalie. The other competitors in the grand final are 19 other semifinal winners; the representatives of five additional countries who automatically secured a spot on Saturday by virtue of their funding of the competition: Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany; and the host country, Sweden.
Earlier in the day, Star had expressed his hope to win for Israel on social media, particularly as he was performing at the conclusion of Israel's 68th Independence Day. "I'm so happy that I can give this gift to my country," said Star in a joint press conference after advancing. "I love my country, and I love everybody in Israel."
Ynet spoke with the singer after his triumph at the semifinal.
Do you intend to make changes in your performance on Saturday?
"I can already tell everybody that there won't be any changes. You don't change a winning formula. We're not going to do anything differently. I hope that the final will go exactly like the semifinal went today, and that everything will be okay."
In Israel, we can't vote for you (since no country may vote for its own representative), but would you like to say something to your fans?
"Absolutely. To my supporters, who sent me good energy via their screens from home, and to the people who believed in me all the way, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"I wouldn't have been able to do this without all the people who supported me in Israel and who sent me messages, and I am really, really grateful to everyone. I don't have the words to even describe how I feel all this energy, and thanks to everybody."
In the press conference, an Israeli journalist asked Star about difficulties that the singer faced growing up. He answered, "When I was a kid, it was painful for me to go to school. People made my life a living hell, but I stayed true to myself, and I think that's the most important thing that you can ever do. The message of my song is equality. "
When a foreign journalist asked Star about war and children, the Israeli stressed the apolitical nature of Eurovision and that he and his other competitors were singers who were seeking to "come together," the Eurovision motto for 2016. He added, "If I wanted to be in politics, I would not have this haircut."
The running order for Saturday night is as follows:
1. Belgium
2. Czech Republic
3. The Netherlands
4. Azerbaijan
5. Hungary
6. Italy
7. Israel
8. Bulgaria
9. Sweden
10. Germany
11. France
12. Poland
13. Australia
14. Cyprus
15. Serbia
16. Lithuania
17. Croatia
18. Russia
19. Spain
20. Latvia
21. Ukraine
22. Malta
23. Georgia
24. Austria
25. United Kingdom
26. Armenia
