A contender on Uruguay Got Talent sang Israel's national anthem "HaTikva" during a live audition, which premiered in the Latin American country on Tuesday.
Lucia Abealar chose to sing an acoustic rendition of the anthem in Hebrew during the eighth episode of the second season of the talent show, surprising the judges with her unusual choice.
Abealar even translated the lyrics for the judges and explained the meaning behind the song. She correctly said that the lyrics were written in 1878, while the melody was added to it later, resulting in the song becoming the anthem of the State of Israel.
"[The song] is talking about hope," she added.
One of the judges on the panel even said he remembered a few words from the song. "As long as there is a soul, it complements it," he said, emphasizing how important it is to "have freedom in our country. That is why it concerns each of us."
Following the unique performance, the four judges voted to allow Abealar into the next round of the competition.
The show is hosted by Uruguayan singer and actress Natalia Oreiro, the star of the 1999 soap opera "Muneca Brava", which became one of the most watched shows in Israel. She performed in Israel a number of times and in 2002 appeared on a live competition on the Israeli cable TV.
The Israeli ambassador to Uruguay said: "The Jewish community in Uruguay was very excited about the performance and the special gesture, especially by a non-Jewish contestant."