Israeli Eurovision Entry: Hamas Attack Survivor to Represent Nation “`

January 24, 2025 by No Comments

A survivor of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on the Nova music festival has used music as therapy and on Thursday won the right to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.

Yuval Raphael, 24, is grappling with the trauma she experienced when she, four friends, and about 40 others sought refuge in a roadside bomb shelter near Kibbutz Re’im after fleeing the festival by car.

Raphael, who was forced to hide beneath the bodies of those killed in front of her for approximately eight hours before rescue, recounted how Hamas terrorists repeatedly returned to the shelter and fired upon those hiding inside.

The terrorists eventually began throwing grenades into the concrete shelter—an experience mirroring the ordeal endured by dozens that day, including American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

“Music is one of the strongest elements in my healing process,” she stated during Thursday’s competition, according to The Times of Israel.

Despite lacking prior singing experience, Raphael secured her top spot after performing “The Writings on the Wall” and a rendition of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” dedicated to “all the angels” killed in the October 2023 terrorist attack.

Raphael previously addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council, not with her powerful voice, but by sharing her experiences; a move she described as non-political, aimed at highlighting the suffering of innocent civilians that day.

“I want to tell them the story of the country, of what I went through, of what happened,” she reportedly said before the final. “I want to tell the story, but not from a position of seeking pity. I want it to be from a position of strength in the face of this, and in the face of the boos I’m 100% sure will come from the crowd.”

Raphael’s remarks alluded to the backlash she and other Israelis have faced at international competitions, including in 2024, following the terrorist attack and subsequent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations in Gaza.

Israel has faced calls for its removal from the international competition, but the European Broadcasting Union has rejected these demands, emphasizing Eurovision’s non-political nature. The 2024 Israeli contestant, Eden Golan, faced anti-Israeli protests and required Shin Bet security protection.

Golan was also compelled to change her song title from “October Rain” to “Hurricane” because event officials deemed the original too politically charged, The Times of Israel reported.