later officially replaced by HaKokhav HaBa. Impact The program became a microcosm of the Israeli society. With its massive following became social phenomenon. The first series winner Ninette Tayeb, came from Kiryat Gat, inhabited by mainly Sephardi/Mizrahi Jews notably from North Africa. Her win was interpreted as an advance for Sephardic Jews. She would return in a television role in the series HaShir Shelanu (, lit. Our Song) as an unknown country girl who became a big star despite all odds. Yehuda Saado, the third season winner, with his religious attire and interpretations was considered as representative of the conservative religious elements in the country. Fourth season winner Jacko Eisenberg raised the question of serving in the Israeli Army. Contrary to first season winner Ninette Tayeb who served in the IDF, and to Harel Moyal winner in season 2, a soldier in the Israel Border Police, also composing songs for the military forces, with Idan Amedi auditioning with a song he wrote while in the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps, Eisenberg said publicly in an interview that he would not serve in the military, raising protests against his defiant declarations and led to calls for his boycott. In response, Kokhav Nolad held special auditions at various Army outlets to encourage those in military service to try to apply for the competition. The fifth season scored another cornerstone for the competition with Miriam Tukan, a Palestinian Christian contestant from I'billin, an Arab town in North Israel taking part as the first ever Arab contestant. Huge media attention focused on her with her insistence in incorporating Arab-themed music in her interpretations rather than the general Jewish content of other contestants. An article in Haaretz even discussed the possibility of an Arab contestant winning the show. The Arab and international media also focused on her participation with varying views. Some judges also expressed reservations with her accent and pronunciation. Tukan did not make it to the finals and the fifth season title went to Bo'az Ma'uda who would eventually represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. Season 7 saw a big controversy over contestant Omer Adam, one of the most popular contestants of the season and tipped to win the title, until blogger Omri Hayon and Ynet online news service revealed that Omer was just 15 years and 7 months when he applied. The minimum age for applying for the show is 16 years.