Hamas Assault Survivor Yuval Raphael Represents Israel at Eurovision 2025
Basel, Switzerland, Could 16, 2025 – Yuval Raphael, a 24-year-old survivor of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on the Nova music pageant, is representing Israel on the 2025 Eurovision Tune Contest together with her pop ballad “New Day Will Rise.” Performing in Basel, Switzerland, Raphael has superior to the grand remaining on Could 17, 2025, after a standout efficiency within the second semi-final on Could 15. Her participation, amid ongoing protests over Israel’s involvement as a result of Gaza battle, has sparked each admiration for her resilience and controversy, echoing tensions from Israel’s 2024 Eurovision entry.
Raphael’s Journey and Survival
Raphael was attending the Nova pageant close to the Gaza border when Hamas militants attacked, killing 378 civilians and taking 40 hostages. Fleeing with buddies, she took refuge in a roadside bomb shelter close to Kibbutz Be’eri, the place round 50 folks had been crammed collectively. As gunmen fired repeatedly and threw grenades, Raphael survived by hiding below useless our bodies for eight hours, enjoying useless. Solely 11 of the 51 within the shelter survived. She nonetheless carries shrapnel in her head and leg and has spoken of putting up with psychological scars, telling the UN Human Rights Council in April 2024, “The bodily accidents are therapeutic, however the psychological scars will stick with me endlessly.”
Music has been central to Raphael’s therapeutic. After the assault, she started her skilled singing profession, auditioning for Israel’s HaKokhav HaBa (The Subsequent Star) with Demi Lovato’s “Anybody.” Her highly effective performances, together with a ballad model of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” devoted to the “angels” killed at Nova, earned her the win on January 22, 2025, securing her Eurovision spot. “Music is among the strongest substances in my therapeutic course of,” she mentioned through the finale.
“New Day Will Rise” and Its Message
Written by Keren Peles, “New Day Will Rise” is a hopeful anthem with lyrics in English, Hebrew, and French, together with, “New day will rise / Life will go on / Everybody cries / Don’t cry alone.” The music, accepted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to make sure no political content material, displays themes of therapeutic and unity. Its video options Raphael and younger folks singing and dancing in a grassy discipline with pink anemones, evoking the Nova pageant’s setting. Raphael has described the music as representing “the therapeutic that all of us want and the optimism for the times forward.”
Controversy and Protests
Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025, as in 2024, has confronted vital opposition as a result of Gaza battle, which adopted the October 7 assault and has resulted in over 52,000 Palestinian deaths, based on Gaza’s Hamas-run well being ministry. Protests in Basel, together with a “silent” march with Palestinian flags, have focused Israel’s inclusion, with some broadcasters from Iceland, Spain, and Slovenia calling for a ban. A protester’s alleged throat-slitting gesture towards Raphael through the Could 11 opening ceremony prompted a grievance to Swiss police by the Israel Broadcasting Company.
Raphael, ready for hostility, has practiced performing with simulated booing, a tactic suggested by her delegation director Yoav Tzafir after final yr’s contestant, Eden Golan, confronted intense abuse. “I’ve been given one other likelihood at life, so it’s my obligation to not be afraid and to unfold the sunshine,” Raphael advised MailOnline. She avoids partaking with critics, stating, “Everybody has their very own opinion,” and focuses on her efficiency. The EBU, sustaining its stance from 2024, permits Israel to compete however enforces strict guidelines in opposition to political expressions, just lately lifting a ban on Palestinian flags within the viewers to stability free expression with Swiss regulation.
Public Sentiment and Help
Raphael’s story has resonated broadly. On X, @Israel praised her as an emblem of resilience, noting her survival and Eurovision journey, whereas @HenMazzig known as her efficiency a tribute to her murdered buddies, criticizing protesters’ hostility. Supporters like @norwegianesc lauded her “excellent” efficiency, arguing opposition stems from bias in opposition to her Israeli identification. Nevertheless, critics like Nemo, the 2024 Swiss winner, have questioned Israel’s participation, citing conflicts with Eurovision’s values of peace and unity.
Outlook
At present a fifth favourite to win, Raphael sees her efficiency as an opportunity to “unfold the love” and unite folks by way of music, aligning with Eurovision’s slogan, “United by Music.” Her journey from surviving a bloodbath to acting on one of many world’s greatest phases embodies resilience, although it stays overshadowed by geopolitical tensions. For updates, observe Eurovision’s official web site or trusted shops like BBC Information.
