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TEL AVIV – Israeli singer Yuval Raphael has been selected to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, with a song composed by renowned musician Keren Peles.
The announcement was made last week by KAN, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, which revealed that the song will be officially unveiled on March 9 in a special broadcast on KAN 11.
Raphael, who won the Next Star for Eurovision competition, emerged as the country’s representative for the highly anticipated event, which will take place in Basel, Switzerland, in May.
The selection committee, led by KAN’s music director Barak Itzkovitz, unanimously chose the song, which incorporates verses from the biblical Song of Songs.
The lyrics of the song remain undisclosed, but its inclusion of Song of Songs—often regarded as one of the most poetic and beautiful texts in the Hebrew Bible—has already sparked interest.
The composition follows last year’s entry, Hurricane, also penned by Peles, which secured Israel a fifth-place finish in Eurovision 2024.
A Survivor’s Story
Yuval Raphael’s journey to Eurovision is particularly poignant. The 23-year-old singer is a survivor of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on the Supernova music festival in southern Israel.
During the assault, which claimed the lives of over 360 festival-goers, Raphael managed to survive by hiding under the bodies of victims for hours until she was rescued.
Her story of resilience has resonated deeply with many Israelis, and her selection has been met with an outpouring of support.
Raphael’s participation in Eurovision has already generated significant buzz, with Israel currently leading early betting odds for the competition.
According to the Eurovision news website Euromix, following Raphael’s selection, Israel has topped the ranking among the 37 participating countries. Belgium and Sweden hold the second and third spots, respectively.
EBU Approval and Eurovision History
While the song has been selected, it must still receive final approval from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oversees the competition.
The EBU has strict guidelines regarding political content in Eurovision entries. Last year, Israel initially submitted a song titled October Rain, which referenced the October 7 attack.
The song was ultimately rejected for being too political, prompting a revision that led to Hurricane.
KAN officials remain confident that this year’s song will pass the EBU’s screening process, as it primarily focuses on artistic and cultural themes rather than explicit political messaging.
As Israel prepares for Eurovision 2025, excitement continues to build around Raphael’s performance and the country’s chances of securing another strong finish.
With a powerful backstory, a celebrated songwriter, and strong public support, Raphael’s Eurovision journey is set to be one of the most closely followed in recent years.
Eurovision 2025 will take place in May in Basel, where Raphael will take the stage in front of millions of viewers worldwide.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members