Eurovision 2025: opposition intensifies against Israeli finalist
Yuval Raphael is the contestant of this year edition. Despite the critics, she manage to qualify to the Grand Finals.
Eurovision 2025 is coming to an end, and people around the globe are waiting for the Grand Final this Saturday. However, as of the 2024 edition, the participation of Israel is generating controversy around the song and the meaning of the lyrics.
Last year edition was chaotic. There was not much time between Eurovision and the Hamas attacks and the beginning of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Therefore, Eden Golan, the representative of the country then, was booed during his performances. Also, there were a lot of protests against Israel in Malmö (Sweden), the host city of the 2024 edition.
Why is Israel's song been criticized?
"New Day Will Rise", written by Karen Peles is performed by Yuval Raphael on Eurovision 2025. The lyrics talk about saying goodbye and how it could affect someone, especially when they are so attached to each other.
Protest against Yuval Raphel in the streets of Basel. Photo: AFP News.
However, people noticed that the lyrics could imply another meaning, related to the conflicts, with phrases such as "Everyone cries", "Darkness will fade" and "But we will stay". Also, Yuval Raphael said she is a Hamas attack survivor, during a 2023 electronic music festival.
How Israel became a Eurovision finalist
Despite the criticism, Israel enters the Grand Final in the Top 5 of the event, behind Armenia, Austria, Denmark, Finland and Greece. Even the card from Artists For Palestine UK, signed by 70 former participants asking for Israel to be expelled from the contest, could not stop the artist's advance
Meanwhile, Yuval Raphael is being protected by a big security team, and she voluntarily refused to participate in the official activities. During her presentation, a lot of Palestine flags were waving, according to some people in the audience.
The Grand Final is this Saturday at 3 pm EDT and will be streamed on the official YouTube Channel of Eurovision. Other countries participating in the last show are France, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Albania, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece, and more.
