Israel’s involvement in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 has been at the center of intense debates that brought both criticism about Israel’s political situation with Gaza and endorsement of the country’s hardiness. Yet Yuval Raphael’s participation in Eurovision 2025 has not gone unnoticed despite the unrest. Let’s take a closer look at Israel’s hotly discussed entry as well as the reactions of the Eurovision community, the audience, and the media.
The Controversial Entry: Political Protests Surround Israel’s Eurovision Performance
The song “New Day Will Rise” by Yuval Raphael, Israel’s entry in Eurovision 2025, has turned into a debate ground for politics. Raphael, one of the survivors of the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, gave a wonderful performance with the song representing strength and determination. However, his performance was not left peacefully and was flooded by the protests and political demands that Israel be expelled from the contest.
Protests and Calls for Exclusion
The protests at the Eurovision event in Basel were so heated that they even included street fighting. The open letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) signed by more than seventy past Eurovision performers called to boycott Israel’s participation in the contest since the crisis in Gaza was still going on. These protests had their climax during Raphael’s act when the riot police struggled with the demonstrators and the latter tried to invade the stage.
While there were a lot of hard feelings around, Raphael’s act was truly memorable and emotional and reminded everyone that they have to go through the personal loss and face their fortitude. In her song, the singer played and sang so mightily that she was raising the emotional level even higher and making the audience remember what the stakes of the period and the event were.
From Protesters to Second Place: People’s Opinion
In spite of the uproar that arose through Israel’s participation, the public gave a great response to Raphael’s performance. People liked the sentimental way she was singing the song and the catchy lyrics, which helped her to be ranked second with an impressive score of 357. According to the televote, Spain was among the countries that were highly touched by this song which is witnessed by the 12 points they gave to Raphael, the highest mark possible.
Nevertheless, the jury vote disagreed with the public vote which resulted in Israel’s position being slightly lower in the final ranking. Although this, the comforting and positive message from Raphael still found its way to and agreed with the majority of the Eurovision fans thus strongly establishing her in the hearts of the global fans of the competition.
Televote and Jury Votes: Different Views
While the public vote gave Raphael the first prize, the jury vote was not so interested and hence they placed her second. The fact that the public was with her and the jury was opposed to her brought to light the glaring disconnect between the socio-political fabric and the art of music.
EBU’s Opinion: Political? Non-Political?
Since the commencement of the debate, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been very clear with the fact that they do not want any interference when it comes to the affair of Eurovision and politics. The organization was strict in its statements that Eurovision is not a political competition, and that was one of the grounds for the disputes with other broadcasters such as RTVE from Spain. Consequently, EBU took the liberty to impose a fine on RTVE, which was a warning against any possible further negative remarks bearing a Gazette topic.
RTVE’s Perspective: A Clarion Call for Peace
Spain’s RTVE took an unprecedented step in that they posted a message before the beginning of the Eurovision show, in which they said: “Silence is not an option when it comes to human rights. Palestine stands for peace and justice.” This very public statement symbolized the growing political split over the Gaza conflict, making the event even more intricate.
The Repercussions: What is the Future of Eurovision Here?
Israel’s presence at Eurovision 2025 had been taken by some to be instrumental to the joining of the three worlds:- music, politics, and international relations. It follows then, that the controversy surrounding Raphael’s performance is emblematic of the cultural event that has to grapple with the intricacies of, and navigate through, multifaceted geopolitical tensions.
Inspite of the resistance and political differences, Israel’s performance has excelled as an example of music which has the power to unite and motivate people. As the competition stays updated through more editions, the certainty of Eurovision being a ground for both cultural merrymaking and global discussion is evident.
Summary:
- Due to the military operations at the Gaza Strip, and in light of the protests and non-violent choice of songs, the people opposing Israel’s Eurovision entry appeared on the streets and sent the organizers several petitions.
- Without any consequences, Yuval Raphael’s “New Day Will Rise” became the winner of the televote and was also ranked second among the voting public domestically and internationally.
- In the exploits of the EBU, Spain’s RTVE played a daring move by broadcasting a pro-Palestinian statement which charged spring and brought in a wave of heated debates to the area where neutrality was very important.
- Eurovision’s complex role in the political arena has been definitely brought into focus by Israel’s participation through the medium of music.
What Could Happen to Israel in Eurovision?
Israel’s progress in Eurovision throughout 2025 has thrown up a set of thought-provoking questions about how significant the political factor is in cultural activities. Are the coming contests going to encounter these kinds of disputes, or will Eurovision still be the non-political stage that it desires to be? We will be right here, pointing out the forthcoming decisions that could impact Israel’s part in the contest.
