This article is from: srnnews.com
Israel’s Yuval Raphael Captivates Europe, Places 2nd in Eurovision Despite Protests
By The Media Line Staff
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael finished second at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday night, winning the public vote and emerging as one of the most talked-about performers of the evening. Austria’s JJ ultimately took the top prize, but Raphael’s emotional performance of “New Day Will Rise,” inspired by her survival of the October 7 Hamas attack, resonated powerfully with audiences across Europe.
Raphael, a 24-year-old amateur singer from Raanana, received 297 points from the public—more than any other contestant—and a total of 357 points overall. Austria’s JJ, whose operatic techno ballad “Wasted Love” won the jury vote and finished fourth in the public tally, edged out Israel with 436 points to win the competition. Estonia placed third with 356 points.
“Thank you, Europe. Am Yisrael chai! [The people of Israel lives!]” Raphael declared on stage after her performance. In a later interview, she added, “People of Israel, I love you more than anything in the world.”
Her performance, featuring black winged sleeves and a striking silver set, was widely praised. Yet it unfolded under tight security and political tension. Protesters outside the venue burned flags and clashed with police. During the performance, a Dutch couple attempted to storm the stage, with one spraying a guard with red paint before being detained. Raphael remained unaware of the disturbance at the time. The Israeli delegation briefly exited the Green Room for security reasons.
Raphael’s personal story added emotional weight to her performance. On October 7, 2023, she had been attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Hamas gunmen stormed the area, killing 378 Israelis. In a frantic call to her father from a roadside bomb shelter, she whispered, “There are bodies everywhere.” Her father replied, “Play dead, Yuvali, play dead.” She did exactly that, hiding under the bodies of murdered festivalgoers for nearly eight hours, wounded by shrapnel in her leg, until she was rescued.
The lyrics of “New Day Will Rise”—”Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by”—took on added meaning in this context. The song was written by Israeli composer Keren Peles, and includes lines in Hebrew from the biblical Song of Songs: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.”
While Israel faced calls for disqualification over its military actions in Gaza, the European Broadcasting Union allowed it to compete. Public broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and Slovenia objected, and several aired pro-Palestinian messages during the contest. Protests in Basel were relatively subdued compared to the previous year’s demonstrations in Malmö, Sweden.
Austria’s JJ, 24-year-old Johannes Pietsch, captivated viewers with a performance broadcast in black and white, fusing opera and techno. Pietsch was born in Vienna to an Austrian IT specialist and a Filipino cook and spent much of his childhood in Dubai. After receiving the winner’s trophy, he told the crowd, “Love is the strongest force in the world. Let’s spread more love.” Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker praised the win, calling it “a fantastic success.”
Israel awarded its highest jury score to Greece. Eden Golan, Israel’s 2024 contestant, announced the points while wearing a dress symbolizing hostages held in Gaza. Raphael thanked her Shin Bet security team, saying, “It’s not a given that I felt comfortable and safe.”
Israel has won Eurovision four times—most recently in 2018—and has frequently placed in the top five. Raphael’s performance added to that legacy, turning her into a national icon overnight. Despite political headwinds, she won the hearts of millions.
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