News - Live: National final in Israel | Eurovision Song Contest News - Azerbaijan 2012 

The show is produced by Reshet, one of the two operators of Channel 2, and will start at 20:00 CET (21:00 local time) from the TV studios in Neve Ilan. The host of tonight's show is Ofer Shechter. Harel Skaat will sing four songs and the winning song will be chosen by an expert jury (60%) and televoting (40%).

How to watch?

You can follow the webstream here or here.

Channel 2 is available on the Amos Satellite (4W) at 11658V 8520 2/3 (Middle East only, check the map for more information)

Participants (composer/lyricist in brackets):

Your opinion

• You can vote for your favourite song in our poll here.

LIVE

The show has started.

The history of Israel in the ESC is being presented. Gali Atari goes on stage and she sings her song Hallelujah, which won ESC 1979, along with Harel Skaat.

The jury is being presented. It is made of people from IBA and Reshet. Along with them there are three more juries: Israeli parlament members, OGAE members and Harel Skaat's fan club members.

Mira Awad who represented Israel last year and Tzvika Pik who wrote several ESC songs as Diva and Light a candle and took part 7 times in the Kdam will comment on the songs.

Harel's career is being presented now: In his childhood, the army, Israeli Idol and as a famous singer.

1. Le'an (Where to?)

Current esctoday.com poll result: 1st (48.0%)

The stage is blue and Harel is weraing a red-white shirt with a black vest. He's accompanied by a full (!) orchestra. The song is a rock ballad. It is performed very well and three backing singers are there too. The song is quite monotone and only in the last part it gets power.

Tvika Pik: The song is good, it gives Harel the option to show his voice and it touches, the vocal performance is the best out of all the songs we've heard so far. 

Moshe Datz: Harel must show his maximum and he got a voice that many Israeli artists don't, but it might not be so catchy for the first listening.

Uri Gotlieb, a famous Israeli comedian, went to visit various ambassadors in order to promise that Israel will get the douze pointes from everyone. The first one is from the United Kingdom.

2. Elayich (Towards you)

Current esctoday.com poll result: 4th (14.4%)

The stage turned red and Harel is wearing a black undershirt and a pair of jeans. The song starts slowly and then the beat comes along with the sounds of an electric guitar. Three backing singers accompanies him along with the band.

Moshe Datz: Harel's voice are better than the songs, and the songs aren't catchy enough for the ESC. It's a great song for CDs and radios but not for ESC.

Mira Awad: The lyrics aren't a plus in ESC as they're in hebrew, the musical production of this song isn't very good.

Uri now visits the Irish ambassador. Uri faces the ambassador with the fact Ireland gave 0 points to Israel last year. Then Mira comes in and starts speaking in Arabic.

3. Le'hitkarev (Closer)

Current esctoday.com poll result: 3rd (14.9%)

Harel stands on the purple stage along with five backing singers and a guitarist. The band is there as well. He changed the black undershirt into a purple shirt and he sings this rock ballad. It starts slowly with the sounds of the violins and then the drums and the guitars come in. His voice is simply flawless.

Ofer asks Tzvika if this song can represent Georgia, as Tzvika wrote the song Sing my song which took part in the Georgian NF.  He says that the musical message in this song isn't so good as the message of the lyrics and it might not be chosen.

Mira Awad: This song is getting closer, but still not there.

Dalia Mazor and Daniel Pe'er, the hosts of kdam 1983 are commenting on their NF hosting.

4. Milim (Words)

Current esctoday.com poll result: 2nd (22.8%) 

The stage is dark except for some white lights. Harel is now dressed in a suit and starts singing this song slowly with the sounds of a piano. Soon the band joins in and the stage turns blue. The song is performed perfectly both vocally and visually and this is probably the Israeli entry for Oslo.

Harel tells the people at home to vote for the song that touched them for the first time and not for the one that might fit for ESC.

Tzvika Pik: This song is very good and fits into ESC as well. It reminds the best songs of famous artists as Lara Fabian.

Moshe Datz: The songs of tonight's kdam are very hard to perform and Harel is an amazing performer. This song fits into ESC and it is exciting and it grows on you with the time.

Israeli residents can vote by calling to 054-4000000 or sending an SMS with the song number to 7373.

Our poll will be closed in five minutes. 

Our poll is closed now. You can find the updated results above. 

Uri goes for the last visit to the German embassy. Germany gives 2 points to Israel. After a little discussion, Germany gives 12 points to Israel.

The televoting will be over in 5 minutes. Until then, a coverage of ESC 1979 that was held in Jerusalem is presented. Shlomi Saranga, a famous Israeli singer who sings also in Greek, sings Socrates, the Greek entry of 1979.

Lines are closed now.

A video of Saraleh Sharon who represented Israel in ESC 1993 is presented. Uri came to visit her.

The results are coming in. 

The jury results: Milim - 120, Le'an - 88, Elayich - 72, Le'hitkarev - 20

Now a promo for the 2nd season of reshet's drama series, Ad Ha'chatuna (Until the wedding) is shown.

The televoting results are coming in. 

Elayich - 80, Le'an - 100, Milim - 120

Milim will be the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010.