Israel will be represented at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland by Yuval Raphael, a 24-year-old singer who won the “Hakochav Haba” competition, meaning the next big star, on Wednesday.
Raphael’s story is marked by dramatic events. On October 7, 2023, she was at the Nova music festival when it was attacked by Hamas terrorists. She survived by taking shelter in a bunker with other festival-goers, waiting for rescue amidst the bodies of the victims, in order to save her life. Music, she says, is one of the strongest means to advance her recovery.
“I want to tell the story of my country, what I went through, what others went through, but not from the perspective of pity, but from the perspective of perseverance” she said in an interview. “I can’t even express how excited and ready I am. Thank you for the great honor and trust in entrusting my country to represent me on the big Eurovision stage.”
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place in mid-May, with Raphael’s song yet to be determined.
The music festival in southern Israel, with around 4,000 attendees, was the target of a Hamas attack. Armed, militant Islamist fighters stormed the festival grounds, attacking the attendees. Some people took shelter in bunkers, while others ran away or fell victim to the attack. Approximately 360 attendees were killed, and 44 others were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip.