A major argument broke out on Tuesday night on Keshet 12’s “Dancing with the Stars,” and it was not about the dancing itself but about the judges’ reactions afterward. Singer Eden Golan and her partner Artem performed to “You Give Love a Bad Name” and finished first on the leaderboard with 32 points.
The dispute began after judge David Dvir pointed out small technical mistakes in Golan’s routine, then quickly softened his criticism with praise. He told her, “There are always small stumbles... you got caught up there in the spin, we can see that. But your challenge is yourself. You can do it and you will give it, well done.”
Judge Anna Aronov pushed back live on air, accusing Dvir of showing no mercy to some contestants while excusing Golan. “Why do some people get zero compassion from you, even in places where it is needed, and she is the strongest and you forgive her everything?” she said, also calling out what she described as a mistake in the lift and in the stance. Dvir replied that the other judges were being too harsh on Golan, saying, “I do not forgive her for anything, I noted it. But you judge her like an international competition in Hollywood. Sorry, Israel, it is a great competition here.”
Aronov kept pressing and compared Golan’s judging to that of contestant Matan Peretz, arguing that if performers are judged by their own abilities, then “let’s judge Matan by his ability too and not give them two.” She ended the exchange by accusing Dvir of double standards and demanding that all contestants be treated equally. Golan and Artem stood on stage through the confrontation, smiling awkwardly and waiting for the tension to ease.
