Israel’s Yuval Raphael scores 2nd at Eurovision, despite backlash

Though the juries largely snubbed her, Nova survivor Yuval Raphael’s fans across Europe lifted her to Eurovision’s runner-up spot.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael won the largest number of audience votes and secured Israel a second-place finish at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite intense pressure from anti-Israel activists to bar the Jewish state from competing.

The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, held in in Basel, Switzerland, saw 26 countries participate in the annual singing competition.

Most of the countries that compete are located in Europe, though Armenia, Azerbaijan, Australia, and Israel also sent representatives.

Raphael, a 24-year-old woman from the central Israel city of Ra’anana, survived the Nova Festival massacre by hiding under a pile of bodies.

Anti-Israel protesters targeted Raphael, including a keffiyeh-clad demonstrator who made a throat-slitting gesture at her as she posed for photographers at a pre-competition event.

During the contest, both the Flemish-language Belgian broadcaster and the Spanish network airing the competition displayed anti-Israel messages.

While Raphael performed her power ballad “New Day Will Rise,” two separate protesters reportedly attempted to rush the stage.

Eurovision security prevented the activists from disrupting Raphael’s performance, and the Israeli singer was unaware of the attempted breaches.

Although Raphael secured the most votes from viewers at home out of any contestants, the two-tiered Eurovision scoring system meant she ended up placing second.

Juries made of entertainment industry professionals from each participating country also score the performances.

In what appeared to be a politically motivated decision, almost none of the juries awarded a high number of points to Raphael, meaning that Austria ended up winning the competition.

“I will thank my people every day of my life. Everyone who gave me this status, this feeling of victory,” Raphael said in a Hebrew-language statement after securing second place for Israel.

“I have never felt so victorious… All I wanted was to bring honor and pride to this country, just a little bit of peace amid all the madness,” she said.

“But we have not had and will not have a real victory like having our hostages at home,” she added.

Last year, Israeli singer Eden Golan scored a fifth-place title for Israel in the contest. Like Raphael, she received almost no votes from the juries but extensive support from the audience at home.