Israeli news portal NRG.co.il revealed today several new details concerning the Israeli national final, Kdam-Eurovision, due to be broadcast from Jerusalem on March 2nd.
The 14 competing singers and groups have been given time till the end of the month to submit the songs of their choice, which will be performed on the Kdam's stage in Jerusalem. Rinat Gabay will perform a ballad she composed to the lyrics of Ehud Manor, (lyricist of Abanibi and several other previous Israeli entries), Shiri Maymon has also chosen a ballad while Tzvika Pick will compete with an up-tempo number, and so will his daughters, Sharona and Daniela. Beside the awkwardness of the competition within the Pick family, it is now known that lyricist Mirit Shem-Or, the ex-wife of Tzvika Pick and mother of Sharona and Daniela, will write both Tzvika's and their daughters entries (Shem-Or and Pick wrote Ukraine's first entry, Hasta la Vista in 2003).
Soul singer, Momy Levi, will perform with an entry he wrote himself whereas Zehava Ben will now have to search for a new song after she counted on a composition by Rinat Gabay, who turned down the offer since she has already qualified to compete herself. Samir Shukri will perform an entry composed by Zohar Laskov. It will not be Laskov's first time on Eurovision grounds as he wrote the 1987 Israeli entry Shir Habatlanim (also known as Hupa-Hulle). The artistic manager of the show will be Kobi Oshrat (composer of Hallelujah) who will be consulted by other writers who experienced the Eurovision Song Contest.
The interval act will include an Italian medley performed by the host, Moran Atias (pictured), who is also a presenter on Italian television. Another act during the night will be a Eurovision medley by Maya Buskila and Harel Ska'at. Israel's 2005 Eurovision entry will be chosen by a mixed voting consisting the vote of the audience in the hall, 4 juries in seperate cities, and also an internet-voting and televoting which will account for 40% of the votes. IBA will accompany the production with a filming crew in order to produce a documentary film.
