Author: David Caspi

Jessica Katz and coach Aviv Geffen.

More than two months after teasing its highly anticipated “Hollywood” blind audition, The Voice Israel finally unleashed its star power for season three: Contestant Jessica “Jessy” Katz, niece of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

The daughter of Playmount Productions president Nancy Spielberg-Katz, the 25-year-old University of Maryland graduate was the very last to try out during the audition rounds of the show’s Israeli edition. She was accompanied by a friend and sang Swedish artist Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers.” Her winning performance resulted in a spot on Israeli rocker Aviv Geffen’s team.

The self-proclaimed Zionist made aliyah (“Immigration”) to the holy land three years ago and has been gigging around Tel Aviv as part of Jessica Rabbit & the Blues Bunnies, a playful homage to the animated bombshell songbird featured in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, produced by her uncle. Admitting to her occasional errors while speaking Hebrew, Katz mentioned her famous uncle during her testimonial.

Said Katz: “I’m not ashamed of it, but there are people who shamelessly will say it to my face ‘Oh, you’re Jessica Katz? I’ve heard of you, you’re Steven Spielberg’s niece. Listen, I really want to make it big, can you ask your uncle this, that and the other? It’s such a letdown walking into a room and be recognized as Steven Spielberg’s niece instead of Jessica Katz.”

The brunette goes on to confess that she “would not have done The Voice US,” adding, “I want [the coaches] to turn their chairs because of my voice and not because I’m that niece. I need to make it on my own, only with my talent, and if not that I didn’t pull it off, then I need to work even harder”.

Season three of The Voice Israel premiered June 8 and was benched four weeks in following escalating tensions between Israel and Palestinians. This past Sunday marked the show’s return on channel 2 franchiser Reshet, which suffered losses of some $11 million due to suspended productions as a result of Israel’s military action in Gaza, known as Operation Protective Edge, including that of the popular singing competition.

“Beyond the economic damage done to Reshet due to the income loss, the loved and leading show in Israel — The Voice — has not aired for over two weeks,” Reshet VP of Communications Yael Gaoni told THR in late July. “However, this is one of Israel’s most powerful TV brands, so obviously its return to the screen will be gladly welcomed. On, and off screen, both The Voice mentors and contestants have done their best to improve the mood of citizens and wounded soldiers alike.”

Watch Katz’s audition video below:

On the heels of X Factor U.K.’s 10th season roll-out this weekend and with the U.S. version set to return next week, Israel’s version of the singing contest premiered its first official promo starring format creator Simon Cowell and local edition host, supermodel Bar Refaeli.

In the 1 minute, 42 second clip, which surfaced online in Israel the morning of Sept. 1, the 28-year-old stunner is shown driving a sports car in the desert, ending up at a diner where she meets a digitally manipulated Cowell.

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In a short, flirtatious rendezvous Refaeli introduces Cowell to the four judges: pop star Ivri Lider, labeled “the clever one,” balladeer Shiri Maimon, aka “the diamond,” veteran rocker Rami Fortis, “the crazy one,” and ethnic rocker Moshe Peretz, “the prince”.

Cowell then concludes the short encounter, saying “Bar, I think you’ve got yourself a panel” which prompts the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit Issue cover girl to thank him and take his car keys, hence getting his approval to getting behind the wheel of the car for his show’s debut in the holy land. A slogan at the end reads, “The real thing is coming to Israel.”

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For weeks before the promo premiered, the show had already been generating buzz in Israel for channel 2 network Reshet Broadcasting, even causing rival Keshet Broadcasting to dump its declining singing competition format Kochav Nolad after a decade in favor of a new hybrid, named Rising Star. The latter will be introduced to buyers at next month’s Mipcom in Cannes.

Israel’s The X Factor is slated debut in the coming weeks, following the high holidays hiatus, while Cowell will continue his flirting with the U.S. version’s three female judges, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio. The show premieres on Fox Sept. 11.

Watch X Factor Israel’s promo below.

Twitter: @TheLiveFeed

MBC

While still fighting for independence and global recognition, Palestinians had a big reason to celebrate Saturday when one of their own, 23-year-old Mohammed Assaf of the Khan Younis refugee camp, won the second season of Arab Idol.

The show, which airs live from Lebanon, is a pan-Middle Eastern edition of the American mothership, broadcast on the region’s MBC network. Assaf went up against Syrian Farah Youssef and Egyptian Ahmad Jamal, and feared he might be at a disadvantage, as his opponents were from well-established Arab countries whose residents could rally support for their representatives for the final vote. At the same time, the underdog cautiously was considered a favorite for the past several weeks, having gained global media attention surrounding his participation as the first Palestinian to make the top 10 in the high-rated TV show.

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Still, while his story of sneaking out of the Gaza Strip to make the Cairo auditions, which were taped last fall, has caught the attention of multiple news outlets around the world, Israeli media has been slower to feature it. However, following his win Saturday night, several leading Israeli news sites reported on the story, noting that his recognition has not gone unnoticed by Palestinian politicians, who campaigned for him with their own agenda of showcasing the modern, culturally minded makeup of the population.

Indeed, Palestinians rejoiced following the announcement of Assaf’s victory, as they have during the ongoing competition. And it’s no wonder — in a show of patriotic pride, Assaf has been wearing the traditional Palestinian “keffiyeh,” a black and white scarf, on television while also expressing his political views in interviews where he has condemned the “Israeli occupation.” Assaf dedicated his win to Palestinian prisoners and Muslim Shahids, regarded as “martyrs” who died for their faith.

STORY: Psy to Change Song Title Over Fear of Offending Arabs

Minutes after his crowning, Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a formal congratulatory statement, describing the feat as a source of triumph for the authority as a whole and a territory well on its way to become an independent nation. Abbas also immediately declared Assaf a goodwill ambassador and granted him a diplomatic passport, which surely will come in handy next time he needs to cross the border.

Watch a clip of one of Assaf’s winning finale performances below: