Israel select Kobi Marimi in hopes of repeating Netta's Eurovision glory
Emma KellyWednesday 13 Feb 2019 10:13 am
Kobi is going to… er, Tel Aviv (Picture: MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)
Kobi Marimi has some big shoes to fill.
A year on from Netta's victory in Lisbon, Kobi has been selected as Israel's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv.
In last night's grand finale of HaKokhav HaBa, or Rising Star For Eurovision, the 27-year-old beat Ketreyah Fouch to win the series, and land the honour of representing Israel this year.
Marimi entered the show without any musical experience, but won over the voting public with his unique voice.
He is a trained actor, having won the Promising Actor Award at the 2017 Musical Celebrations – so we can expect some theatrics on stage.
Netta won with her song Toy last year (Picture: FRANCISCO LEONG/AFP/Getty Images)
Kobi's song for the contest will be unveiled next month, and as host country, he will not have to compete in the semi-finals for a place in the grand final.
While a host country winning is certainly rare, it can be done – Israel actually won consecutively in 1978 and 1979.
Luxembourg won on home turf, taking home two wins in 1972 and 1973, and Ireland famously won three years on the trot from 1992 until 1994.
Netta last year beat Cyprus's banger Fuego with her upbeat, chicken-influenced bop Toy by a margin of 93 points, but her win hasn't been without controversy.
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There have been calls to boycott Israel's hosting of Eurovision due to its occupation of Palestinian territories, with a number of British cultural figures, including Vivienne Westwood, Peter Gabriel, Mike Leigh, Roger Waters, Wolf Alice and Maxine Peake, signing a letter calling on the BBC to cancel its coverage of Eurovision due to it taking place in Tel Aviv.
Netta told the BBC: 'I believe that if people boycott Eurovision, they might go against their own beliefs. I believe in a dialogue, I believe in a process. Boycotting is preventing light from being spread, and when you boycott light you spread darkness, and that is what I think. Boycotting isn't the answer, in my opinion.'
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