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Yuval Raphael, the 24-year-old Nova survivor is representing Israel in this week’s Eurovision contest, sharing a beautiful song about love, loss, and renewal.
Yuval Raphael, the 24-year-old Nova survivor representing Israel in this week’s Eurovision contest, shares a beautiful song about love, loss, and renewal. Many Eurovision fans are ignoring her message and heaping hatred on Yuval’s shoulders instead, calling for her to be banned.
“Hang up the phone and play dead.” That advice from Yuval’s father saved her life.
On October 7, 2023, Yuval was attending the Nova music festival in the Re’im Forest, an idyllic wooded area near Gaza. When Hamas terrorists invaded Israel early on that morning, the festival-goers were among their first targets. They shot, raped, tortured, kidnapped, and burned to death as many people as they could. Ultimately 364 young festival-goers were massacred.
Yuval and her friends crammed into a fortified bus shelter with about 50 other people.
“The next thing I remember,” Yuval later recalled in formal testimony to the UN, “is that…one girl was just grabbing my hand really hard. She was really scared and I was like ‘everything’s going to be okay.’” Within minutes a Hamas terrorist stood at the entrance to the shelter and sprayed the inside with bullets. Bodies crumpled to the floor. “I turned around to the girl who was holding my hand,” Yuval recalled, “and she was no longer with us. She was dead.”
Terrified, Yuval phoned her dad again, telling that many people inside the shelter had been murdered. Yuval was pinned down with corpses lying on top of her. Her father told her to pretend that she was dead. Throughout the day terrorists kept returning to the shelter and spraying the inside with bullets.
Suffering from a serious head wound and a broken leg, Yuval was inside the shelter for eight hours.
Finally in the afternoon, after lying underneath corpses, Yuval and the few other survivors from the shelter were rescued. Out of about 50 people inside the bus shelter, only 11 survived.
Yuval has always loved singing. After the massacre, she entered Israel’s popular Hakochav Haba (“Future Star”) television talent contest; the winner gets to represent Israel in the Eurovision contest. She dedicated her singing to “all the angels” who were murdered at the Nova festival. “Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process,” she explained during the show’s finals. Yuval won.
She’ll be singing a new song titled A New Day Will Rise, written by the well-known Israeli songwriter Keren Peles, that conveys Yuval’s message of remembering and honoring the generation of youth Israel has lost. The song is sung in English, French, and Hebrew, the three languages Yuval is fluent in.
The song mourns those we loved and lost: “New day will rise / Life will go on / Everyone cries / Don’t cry alone / Darkness will fade / All the pain will go by / But we will stay / Even if you say goodbye.” The song’s Hebrew lines quote the Song of Songs: “Vast floods cannot quench love / Nor rivers drown it” (Song of Songs 8:7).
Screenshot from Yuval’s music video
In her official music video, she sings the stirring anthem surrounded by friends in a wooded area that resembles the Re’im forest. She and her friends walk through a field covered with red kalaniot, the red poppy-like bloom that’s the national flower of Israel, a symbol of remembrance for those who fell in battle. In Israel, kalaniot have also become a symbol too for remembering those murdered in Hamas’ attacks.
Yuval’s moving song would fits perfectly with this year’s Eurovision theme: “Unity Shapes Love.” She’s explained, “From the moment I heard Keren Peles’s song, it captured exactly the message that I want to share about resilience and unity. The song is strong and is powerful, but also soft and loving. When I sing it I feel secure and open-hearted. All its lines are strong but, ‘Everyone cries, don’t cry alone,’ is beyond powerful. We all go through hard times, and because doing so is a shared experience, supporting and loving each other is crucial.”
But instead of embracing Yuval, many Eurovision participants and fans are directing hatred against her and Israel.
Several national broadcasters - including Iceland’s, Ireland’s, Spain’s and Slovenia’s - are calling for Yuval to be kicked out of this year’s Eurovision. Twenty six members of the European Union Parliament issued a letter demanding that Yuval be removed from the contest. (The letter blames Israel for fighting in Gaza without once even mentioning Hamas.) Over 70 former Eurovision singers signed a petition insisting: “Israel must be excluded from Eurovision.”
Yuval has met with Eden Golan, Israel’s 2024 entry in the Eurovision contest, to discuss strategies for surviving the week-long contest. Despite making it to the final top five in last year’s Eurovision, Eden faced death threats and hatred from fans and her fellow contestants. Switzerland’s winning 2024 singer boycotted a Eurovision event rather than participate alongside Eden. She was also loudly booed every time she performed on stage, both during rehearsals and during the contest itself.
Recent events indicate that Yuval might face a similarly hostile environment: last week, Switzerland’s national fencing team turned their backs on their Israeli counterparts after Israel won the European Championships.
Screenshot for Yuval’s video
Amidst this surge of hatred, Israel’s National Security Council took the unusual step of warning Israelis traveling to watch the contest live in Basel, Switzerland not to display and Jewish symbols in public. Fans are being warned to avoid showing Israeli flags or even Stars of David, lest it lead to attacks from anti-Israel activists.
Eurovision 2025 starts on May 13 and concludes on May 17. With 37 nations participating and an audience of over 150 million people, it’s a way to showcase the incredible beauty and resilience of Yuval Rafael and her entire generation of Israelis.
A New Day Will Rise is a powerful answer to the hatred that Hamas and their apologists spout. Let’s cheer on Yuval and Israel, and draw on the timeless words in her song: Vast floods cannot quench love.
Yuval delivered a breathtaking performance at Eurovision, capturing the hearts of millions across Europe and beyond. With passion, grace, and undeniable talent, she soared to second place, coming within a heartbeat of victory. Her near-win was not just a personal triumph but a moment of immense pride for Israel and the Jewish people worldwide, as she stood tall on the global stage, representing her heritage with dignity and brilliance. Her voice echoed far beyond the arena, reminding us all of the beauty and strength of our shared identity.
Word is that Israel's song came in second. Either Jews have been voting overtime or the haters have less support than they think they do - or both.
The Eurovision is a contest of music talent there shouldn't be any politics involved, my sister showed me her song that a lot of djs played it for their audience, and the djs got emotional when they played and and a the song, the song went all around the world and only had good things to say about the music, the people that praised her music and song had good hearing, because the person that won first place shouldn't have won at all, the judges must of been tone deaf because he couldn't sing at all, and Yuval Raphal song beautiful
Sport is also supposed to be apolitical, as are healthcare and education and many other things, but we see all of these have been infiltrated by political agendas.
The Palestinian issue in the Levant is hiding a deeper refugee problem. This is because many of those whom claim to be Arab Palestinian are not. Many are actually:Chechens, Circassians and Dagestainis from the Caucasus Mountains. Many are decendencts of refugees from Imperial Russia's Genocidal wars of conquest of the Caucasus Mountains during the 1800's. Also there is more than good evidence that the current Palestininian Issue is a Moscow manufactured problem. Please do not take my word for it. Do you own research. I will admit it is not easy.
I don't know everything about Judaism, but all the people I know that follow it are vehemently opposed to Israel's actions, and justifiably.
Why "justifiably"? How for example do US's actions in Afghanistan after 9/11 compare - do you call the US's actions "unjustifiable"?
You know NOTHING!
People who have not been attacked out of a situation of peace.... have no place asking those where attacked out of a situation of peace to stop fighting, those who attacked them.
So as I understand it they voted for a Pro Putin artist. {{ Writing from Ukraine. }}
This should not come as surprise to anyone. This is just another demonstration of the lack of mercy that the Nations of the world are showing. This has all been foretold. They will never accept us. Is this not the most definitive proof?? The Jewish nation was meant to always dwell alone, surrounded by those that hate us and those that want to learn from us. Let us not look upon this with despair, but rather with celebration that we are His Chosen People. Otherwise, you cannot make sense of this lunacy. Let the Nations of the world show who they really are while we come together and celebrate our connection to the Creator of the Universe who loves us unconditionally. Let us look forward together and march with fervor and excitement to once again accept our Creator's Torah on Shavuos!!
NO, it's shame on you that you have no respect for halachah (if you're Jewish) or religious principles (if you're not).
reply to Rea - Of course a man wouldn't have been accepted either - but that wasn't the point I was trying to make.
N Cohen
Do you think for one split of a second that if it was a man singing he would have been accepted?
I am feeling very apprehensive about our near future. Isreal will go after Iran alone . We will be blamed for starting a world war. The only safe place for us will be Isreal. I look at my non Jewish friends and wonder “ who will hide me?”
Don't worry G_d runs the world not Iran/ Persia, G_ d will protect Israel and the Jewish people
When word of Yahya Sinwar’s (planner of the Oct 7 attack) death spread in Gaza, many people celebrated. Mohammed, a 22-year-old who had been repeatedly displaced during the war, said he blamed Mr. Sinwar for the hunger, unemployment and homelessness the conflict had caused.
“He humiliated us, started the war, scattered us and made us displaced, without water, food or money,” Mohammed said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from Hamas members. “He is the one who made Israel do this.”The news of Mr. Sinwar’s death, he said, marked “the best day of my life.”
The Islamic Fatwa Council, a non-governmental organization of Shia, Sunni and other Muslim clergy based in the city of Najaf, Iraq, recently issued an Islamic ruling, called a fatwa, against the brutal Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. The members of the Islamic Fatwa Council called on Hamas to lay down their arms and finally make peace. The fatwa sees the Hamas regime as responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. “Hamas bears responsibility for the corruption and terror against Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip. It is forbidden to pray, join, support, finance or fight for Hamas on behalf of Hamas.”
WOW! Is this true?
I am hearing/reading this peace of news for the time.
I will research further the "FATWA COUNCEL."
TU
Do you believe terrorists change their spots I don't, when Moshiach comes then there will be peace with our enemies
I am Jewish I love Israel!! Why don’t people like Jews because we survive strong and driven. There wasn’t just wasn’t one holocaust but through the ages there were many.and we survived we grew in every way possible. People hate us because we didn’t disappear. Looking at what’s going in Gaza ISRAEL DIDNT START THIS BUT THE ARAB TERORISTS DID BY KILLING BUTCHERING TORTURING INNOCENT PEOPLE AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL.For.the people Jesus was a Jew do you hate him! These terrorists have sleeper groups in all countries. They want to rid the world of all non Muslims!!
People don’t like Jews because a diaspora Jewish name-swapper named Shaul was culturally and psychologically conflicted, turned on his people and then proceeded to sacralize his own emotions. Non Jews, mainly in Alexandria, who might’ve been convinced to become Jews, bought into Paul’s stories. From there, Paul’s gibberish spread and has become a pivot-point in Europes kulturekampf. Very simple stuff.
This contest has just become another anti-Israel political farce and I eill not give it a single second of my time.
Then it shouldn't be called a contest of music, but a hate fest like Europe was 80 years ago when the Holocaust happened
The quote from the Song of Songs is especially powerful when one considers that Hamas called the October 7 massacre @El Aqsa Flood”
Carly,
Such an intelligent response and a brilliant analysis of another person, just because he does not share your political views. Former head of the IDF and Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alom, a man who risked his life for Israel a zillion times more than you (in your comfortable American apartment?) ever did, calls what Israel is doing 'ethnic cleansing.'
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/03/ex-israeli-defense-chief-israel-guilty-of-ethnic-cleansing/
Israel sings that floods cannot quench love. But what can quench hate?
Yes, many people died that day: Israelis! Why do people ignore that and focus only on Gaza? Why do people ignore the devious way Hamas uses civilians as cover? Why do they use the word genocide? Israeli isn't trying to eliminate a total nation. Hamas is! The nazis tried, but Am Yisrael CHai!
Right, the Nazis( may their name be erased) and these Muslim Arab terrorists are both the same, because they both want the world and Israel " Judenrein" ( free of Jews) and in Gaza and all over the Muslim world the popular book is " Mein Kenif " ( my fight or my struggle) in Arabic the original was in German by Adolf Hitler( may his name be erased) which is a hate manifesto, and in the Passover Haggadah it says in every generation they come to kill us and Hashem saves us from our enemies, Am Yisrael Chai
you want context? 1) there was no war Oct 6, 2023
2) Hamas started this was Oct 7, 2023, with air assault, by foot and in cars
3) they attacked people at a music festival
4) they attacked people in their homes on Kibbutzim
5) thanks to Go Pro video cameras worn by members of Hamas we see they were also accompanied by the citizens of Gaza, "the good people"
SO IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ASSAULT on Israel , Israel responded
a) if they wanted to commit Genocide, the battle would have been over Oct 8
b)hundreds of Israelis have died because they tried to avoid civilian casualties
c) when you use human shields, as Hamas does, civilians die
s
Yitzchak,
Hamas is a murderous organization but the babies murdered and starved in Gaza are not Hamas, and not 'Amalek' as some of our blood-thirsty rabbis call.
Former head of the IDF and Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alom, a man who risked his life for Israel a zillion times more than you (in your comfortable American apartment?) ever did, calls what Israel is doing 'ethnic cleansing.'
https://consortiumnews.com/2024/12/03/ex-israeli-defense-chief-israel-guilty-of-ethnic-cleansing/
The fact that they did not turn to the Israeli flag had “no political background and had nothing to do with disrespecting Israel”. Rather, they wanted to express “our grief and empathy with regard to the great human suffering of the civilian population, which affects all sides in this conflict”.
This is the disingenuous tripe uttered by the Swiss fencing team. They should be banned for 5 years. We'll see...
If that was the case, there are plenty of other countries they can turn their backs on; for example, China for its massacres of Unghyr Moslems - did they?
Please Jews, treat yourself right and move to Israel!
Look at the pure, beautiful souls that grow in Hasem's land.
I would LOVE to move back!! But it's very expensive to move, and I am poor. Want to pay for my aliyah??
European anti-Semitism never left. It’s transmitted in their mothers’ milk.
No. It’s spread through subtle and not so subtle cultural signals.
It's both.
So proud how you stand up to hatred. Wishing you all the best and may this prove to be a new beginning for you and Israel. Your song speaks volumes of words filled with love. We will all be wishing you the best outcome.
Yuval, you are a blessing! Stand tall and know that Gd and your people are with you! May we all be as brave as you. Am Yisrael Chai
Come on Yuval! Chin up, haters gonna hate. you can do it!!!! Am Israel Chai!
Beautiful song, spine-chilling article. Both the song and Yuval herself express the essence of the Jewish soul: love, hope, and resilience. It is beyond horrific that Jews going to Europe in the 21st century for the Eurovision contest have to hide their Jewishness. Jews: Leave Europe and come to Israel!
Also leave the US where a Nazi saluting Musk is no. 2, and the no. 1, Trump, is best buddy with Hungary's Orban who praised his country's WW2 leader Horthy who sent hundreds of thousands of our people to their death. Trump also pardoned the hooligans that stormed Congress, including leaders of the racist and antisemitic Proud Boys https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/proud-boys?ref=tms
1. Security opened doors and invited citizens inside, as testified by one of the guards. His supervisor wanted to start confrontation so she could run to the rescue and get promotion and media. Those arrested spent years in jail with no court date, hearing, lawyer, calls, visits. Some arrested were outside.
2. Musk did NOT do a Nazi salute. He is not at all a Nazi, despite legacy media attempts to ruin him. He was the left's golden child, until Biden gave an achievement award to Mrs. Biden's friend who had virtually no skin in the tech game. That very public insult prompted him to support Trump. The left considers it a betrayal. He was 'their' tech hero. The Nazi jibe is petty and ignorant revenge. That's all.
3. For the love of sanity, educate yourself.
Elon Musk started supporting the Republican Party after a snub by President Biden and not because of his political convictions. “He couldn’t understand it. He had always been the darling of everybody, then he’s told he’s not fit to come to the White House." Sounds like a spoiled brat. He didn't get a participation trophy and he's sad. In terms of nuts and bolts invention of technology, he wasn’t any smarter than a lot of people. And probably wasn’t even as good as a lot of other people.
Musk is a supporter of global far-right figures, causes, and political parties. He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, including COVID-19 misinformation and promoting conspiracy theories, and affirming antisemitic, racist, and transphobic comments.He has encouraged right-wing political movements, policies and administrations in at least 18 countries in a global push to slash immigration and curtail regulation of business.
Elon Musk is not an inventor. He is an investor. He did not found Tesla, he did not design anything for SpaceX and he didn’t even found PayPal, the company that he cites as the true start of his career. The most he has ever been cited for designing at Tesla are some minor parts on his self-driving Tesla model. Tesla was originally the creation of Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpening, and SpaceX is a nearly completely government-funded contractor whose name is the only thing that Musk can take credit for.
Boy, are you deluded! He was brought up un a Nazi family! His father taught him from the time he was a little boy. Do your homework. And security guards did NOT open the doors to let people inside on Jan.6, they tried to keep the mob out, and we're killed and injured for their efforts. WHY are you even HERE???
How about we just get rid of them before they destroy America? You stay and FIGHT!!!
Ms. Rigler, if I had a dollar for every person who said that, then MAYBE I could afford to come home! But it's very easy to say that and almost impossible to do when you are poor, have no savings, and are barely making ends meet!! It's very expensive to make aliyah now, not like it was in 1987 when I made my first aliyah. And then there are the FBI background checks which we have to pay for, physical and psych exams, etc. Please, stop telling people to come to Israel--- it's the one thing I want, but can't have!!!