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The Eurovision Song Contest has long been a stage for music, spectacle, and occasionally, controversy. Israel’s choice for Eurovision 2025, Yuval Raphael, embodies all three in a performance that promises to be both powerful and politically charged. The 24-year-old singer will perform New Day Will Rise, a multilingual song featuring verses from the Song of Songs in Hebrew, English, and French. However, it is Raphael’s personal story of survival that has catapulted her into the spotlight.
A survivor’s song
Yuval Raphael is a survivor of the brutal attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, where Hamas militants killed 360 young partygoers and took 40 hostage. Raphael’s escape involved hiding under dead bodies in a bomb shelter for eight hours. Her story of survival, shared during her winning stint on Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star), adds emotional weight to her Eurovision entry. “Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process,” Raphael told viewers as she dedicated a rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen to “all the angels” who lost their lives at the festival.
Her victory on the talent show secured her place at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland, in May. Fluent in English, French, and Hebrew, Raphael’s language skills are woven into the lyrics of New Day Will Rise, a song that aims to convey hope and resilience amid grief.
Lyrics and controversy
The selection of Israel’s entry has not been without controversy. Last year, Israel faced disqualification threats due to the politically sensitive lyrics of October Rain by Eden Golan, which was later reworked as Hurricane to avoid explicit references to the October 7 attacks. Lyrics such as “They were all good children, each one of them” and references to fallen IDF soldiers were deemed too politically charged for Eurovision’s rules on non-political content.
In contrast, New Day Will Rise has been pre-approved by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The inclusion of verses from the Song of Songs adds a biblical dimension, potentially reframing the narrative from political commentary to a message of spiritual endurance and survival.
A divided stage
The inclusion of Israel in Eurovision 2025 has reignited debates, particularly given the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives since October 7, 2023. Calls for Israel’s exclusion echo the 2022 ban on Russian broadcasters following the invasion of Ukraine. However, the EBU has maintained its stance that Eurovision is a “non-political music event,” emphasising that Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, meets all competition rules.
“The relationship between Kan and the Israeli Government is fundamentally different to the relationship that existed between Russian broadcasters and the State,” stated the EBU. They pointed out that the Israeli government had, in recent years, threatened to close down Kan, highlighting a more complex and less direct state influence.
The power of storytelling
Raphael’s participation transcends her song’s lyrics. Her testimony before the United Nations Human Rights Council, recounting the horrors of the October 7 attack, has positioned her as not only a musician but a witness to tragedy. This dual role complicates the EBU’s insistence on a non-political Eurovision, as Raphael’s personal story inevitably resonates with political undertones.
Looking forward
As the countdown to Eurovision 2025 continues, Israel’s entry encapsulates the challenge of maintaining Eurovision’s apolitical ethos amidst the unavoidable realities of modern conflict. Whether New Day Will Rise will be seen as a heartfelt appeal for peace or a subtle political statement remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that Yuval Raphael’s performance will command attention far beyond the usual Eurovision audience.