Yuval Raphael, who survived the Hamas attack on Israel, would perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, in May.
Raphael qualified for the contest on Wednesday after winning Rising Star, a televised Israeli singing competition. She was honoured to represent Israel in Eurovision after a vote by Israeli audience.
The 24-year-old singer was partying with friends at the Nova Festival on 7 October 2023 when it was attacked by Hamas militants. According to the Times of Israel, Raphael survived by hiding under bodies in a bomb shelter.
In a separate interview, Raphael said she would use his Eurovision appearance to “tell them the story of the country, of what I went through, of what others went through.”
But not from a place of seeking sympathy. I want it to be from a place of standing strong in the face of this, and in the face of the boos I’m 100 percent sure will come from the crowd.
However, the decision to allow Israel to compete in Eurovision last year drew criticism from the international community because of the country’s actions in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis. The then Israeli contestant Eden Golan was forced to change the title of her song October Rain, which referred to the 7 October attack, in accordance with the rules prohibiting political statements.
Thirty-seven countries will take part in Eurovision 2025 in Basel.
