All the details on the connection between Eden Ben Zaken and Benjamin Netanyahu: from the duet to the performance
From a viral backstage performance, through a joint duet in the midst of a national crisis, to the surprise visit to a performance this week that sparked a huge political storm: this is what the most fascinating relationship in Israel looks like.
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The first look at the connection between the country's leadership and the Israeli pop stage seems almost coincidental. A veteran Prime Minister and a young singer who broke through in a 30-shekel jumpsuit present a bond that moves between the media scene and Mediterranean music. An examination of the meeting points between Benjamin Netanyahu and Eden Ben Zaken shows that it is a fascinating media-cultural relationship that has produced viral moments, rare collaborations, and even public storms.
The first publicized meeting took place in April 2019, when after the elections for the 21st Knesset and the Likud victory celebrations at the Binyanei HaUma, Ben Zaken went up on stage and performed her hit "Haim Sheli" ("My Life") in front of Netanyahu and his wife Sara. The performance immediately went viral and highlighted the close connection between the stars of Mizrahi and Mediterranean music and the right-wing leadership in Israel.
The peak of the relationship occurred in December 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, when in a unique initiative the two recorded an official duet for the purpose of raising donations — a new version of the song "Yesh Bi Ahava" ("There is Love in Me"). Netanyahu even visited Ben Zaken's home in Rishon LeZion for the filming of the clip and the recordings, and while Ben Zaken led the singing, Netanyahu contributed with his warm voice and segments of reading and speaking that incorporated elements of support and unity during the lockdowns.
The most discussed chapter was recorded in August 2026, during a series of performances by Ben Zaken at the Menora Mivtachim Arena, which the Netanyahus attended to watch the show from the VIP box. When Ben Zaken spotted the Prime Minister in the audience, she turned to him and he greeted the crowd into the microphone with the words:
"The people of Israel live, strong and happy... There is love in us and it will win."
The visit created an immediate online and political storm, when protest groups claimed it was a staged event while their supporters saw it as a warm gesture of a natural meeting between a leader and one of the most beloved singers in Israel.
The connection between Netanyahu and Ben Zaken is a classic example of the way politics and popular culture join forces. Netanyahu enjoys the connection to the "folksiness" and the young and warm audience of Ben Zaken, while Ben Zaken receives exposure in national prime time and in an arena that goes beyond the boundaries of music alone.
