Israel’s Impressive Eurovision Journey
This year, Israel clinched a noteworthy second place at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Basel, Switzerland. Yuval Raphael, a compelling performer, captivated both the judges and the audience, securing the highest position in the public televote, yet ultimately finishing behind Austria.
Despite landing 14th in the jury rankings among 26 finalists, Raphael’s performance resonated well with viewers across Europe. Notably, the country garnered a full 12 points from only one national jury—Azerbaijan.
A Performance with a Personal Touch
At just 24 years old and a survivor of the tragic October 7th Nova music festival attack, Raphael delivered a poignant rendition of her ballad “New Day Will Rise.”
Israel’s Eurovision entry Yuval Raphael delivers powerful performance of her song ‘New Day Will Rise’ during the Eurovision final.
She ended her performance by declaring ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ which translates as ‘The People of Israel Live.’
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 17, 2025
Unwanted Disruptions
During the performance, at least two protesters attempted to rush the stage, only to be intercepted by security personnel.
Anti-Israel protester tried to storm the stage as Yuval Raphael sang her song at the Eurovision Song Contest
He then tried to make her lose focus by shouting “Free Palestine”
Yuval survived the Nova Music Festival Massacre by playing dead for hours under a pile of dead bodies pic.twitter.com/bBGn2baOdM
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 17, 2025
Protests Outside the Venue
Outside the St. Jakobshalle arena, pro-Palestinian activists engaged in demonstrations that escalated into clashes with local police.
Pro-Palestine rioters are clashing with Swiss police outside the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, where Eurovision is taking place.
They are trying to reach and lynch Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael.
Whenever you see this flag, you see violence!
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) May 17, 2025
Media Messages Amidst the Performance
In a poignant moment, Spanish television aired a call for “peace and justice in Palestine” just before Raphael’s performance.
Spanish Media. You have a short memory. 2004 Madrid, Jihadist terrorists from Al-Qaeda blew up 10 buses killing 193 of your civilians and 2000 injured.
Spanish TV just cut to this while Israel were on @Eurovision
Yuval Raphael was a survivor of a Jihadist massacre too, she… pic.twitter.com/Ec0SvHZ8Yf
— Kosher (@koshercockney) May 17, 2025
The Winner and a Look Back
The crown of Eurovision 2025 went to a singer known simply as JJ, an Austrian-Filipino artist with a powerful soprano voice who identifies as queer. This year’s contest continues a trend of vibrant and diverse representation, following last year’s winner, the non-binary singer Nemo from Switzerland, who famously broke the trophy on stage moments after claiming victory.
Switzerland’s Non-Binary Nemo Wins Eurovision 2024 Contest – Then Breaks the Trophy on Stage
