Valerie Hamaty

Valerie Hamaty was born in 1999 in Jaffa

Hamaty was born on September 28, 1999, in Jaffa, to an Arab Orthodox Christian family. Her father, Tony, owns a tapas bar and pizzeria in Jaffa, and her mother, Raymond, is a tax consultant. At 7 she played flute and clarinet in a scout orchestra, and at 10 she joined the troupe Mayumana.

She studied at Collège des Frères in Jaffa and then at Ironi Dalet High School in Tel Aviv, majoring in biology and chemistry. She then completed a two-year course at the Rimon School of Music in Ramat HaSharon. There she won third place in the Shirimon competition.

In 2021 she came second in the eighth season of HaKokhav HaBa on Keshet 12, singing in Arabic, Hebrew and English. She released singles such as "Kakha Levater" and "Ala Bali", which reached number 4 on the Media Forest weekly chart. In May 2022 she performed at the torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl.

As an actress she played Tirtza Atar in "Od Hozer HaNigun" at Habima and Manar in the youth series "Madrasa" by Sayed Kashua. In 2024 she joined "Rokdim Im Kokhavim" and released "Mishala" with Ivri Lider. In the 11th season of HaKokhav HaBa she competed to represent Israel at Eurovision 2025 and again finished second.

In 2025 she appeared in the Yes series "Tahrir" and released her debut mini-album "Rega Le'atzmi". That November she won first place in a VIP special of MasterChef.