Israeli Pop Singer Noa Kirel Tells President Herzog She Will Bring ‘Chutzpah’ to Eurovision Performance
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Noa Kirel posing with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, for a selfie. Photo: Amos ben Gershom/L.A.M
Israeli pop singer Noa Kirel met President Isaac Herzog on Thursday before leaving for Britain to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest and told him she will show some chutzpah during her performance “but in a good way,” i24News reported.
The 22-year-old will represent Israel in the international singing competition and will perform the new English-language song Unicorn, co-written by Kirel, Yinon Yahel, Doron Medalie and May Sfadia. Medalie co-wrote Israeli singer Netta Barzilai’s 2018 Eurovision-winning song Toy.
“I really feel like I represent Israel in every way,” Kirel told the president and his wife, Michal. “It is an honor to be the country’s ambassador,” the singer added. She also explained that Unicorn “is about being who we are, accepting ourselves, loving ourselves, being proud to be Jewish in the face of the world. It’s a song that calls for diversity and acceptance.”
President Herzog told the singer he is a fan of the song, and of Kirel’s, and that he trusts her as the representative of Israel in the Eurovision competition. He also asked to take a selfie with Kirel and together, with the president’s wife, they posed for the photo while doing a gesture with their hands to mimic a unicorn horn on their forehands. Herzog later shared a video from their meeting on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Kirel will perform Unicorn during the Eurovision semifinals on May 9. The competition’s grand final is set to take place on May 13.
Watch the music video for Unicorn in the video below.
