The singer Marina Maximilian Blumin is the favourite of the Israeli national broadcaster, IBA, and their radio station 88FM to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

The Israeli newspaper Yediot Acharonot has reported that she is the leading candidate in a shortlist of three singers. The other two named by the paper are Esther Rada and Asaf Avidan.

The decision has been made by 88FM to offer Marina the chance to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest in Austria next year.

If she accepts the offer then the broadcaster will begin to look at a potential mechanism to pick the entry. Should she decline, however, then one of the other singers on the shortlist will be offered the opportunity.

Marina Maximilian Blumin was born 27 years ago in Dnipropetrovsk, which is today part of Ukraine. Her family moved to Israel when she was three years old.  She took part in the fifth edition of Kochav Nolad (Israeli Idol) and finished 2^nd behind Boaz Mauda, who represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.  She is best known as a jazz, pop and cabaret singer.

This article has been compiled by ESCToday’s editors Gil Laufer and Pete Lewis.

Do you think Marina Maximilian Blumin would be a good choice to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest next year?

Stay tuned to ESCToday for all the latest news from Israel and the Eurovision Song Contest!