Yuval Raphael to Represent Israel at Eurovision 2025 After Winning Rising Star

January 23, 2025

12:11 PM

Reading time: 3 minutes


Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, 24, from Ra’anana, has been selected to represent Israel in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. Raphael won Channel 12's Rising Star competition with standout performances, including renditions of Abba's "Dancing Queen" and Sam Smith's "Writing’s On The Wall."

Raphael, a survivor of the tragic Nova music festival massacre and the ‘death shelters’ during the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023, has captivated audiences with her powerful voice and resilience. Her first audition, where she performed Demi Lovato’s “Anyone,” earned her the highest score of the season, and her performances throughout the show continued to impress, with memorable renditions of Bruno Mars’ "Talking to the Moon" and Demi Lovato's “Warrior.”

Having only started singing professionally after the events of October 7, Raphael’s journey is one of strength and recovery. In the final episode of Rising Star, Valerie Hamaty finished in second place, followed by Moran Aharoni and Red Band in third, and Daniel Weiss in fourth.

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Switzerland on May 17, 2025. Raphael’s song for the competition will be selected by a professional committee and revealed live during a KAN 11 broadcast in March.

Expressing her excitement and gratitude, Raphael shared, "I can't explain how excited and ready I am!! Thank you for giving me the huge privilege and trusting me to represent my people."

In addition to her musical success, Raphael has advocated for fellow survivors of the Nova festival massacre. In March 2024, she testified at the United Nations in Geneva about her harrowing experience hiding in a bomb shelter with other festival-goers. Tragically, of the 50 people who hid with Raphael, only 12 survived long enough to be rescued.

Raphael's incredible resilience and talent have made her a symbol of hope and strength, and now she prepares to represent Israel on the global stage at Eurovision 2025.

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