The eve before the official Turquoise Carpet event launching Eurovision Week in Basel, Israel’s 2024 Eurovision representative, Eden Golan, responds to the controversy over Israel’s participation in Eurovision – and what message did she send to Yuval Raphael?
Eden Golan stepped onto the Eurovision 2024 stage carrying an immense burden: representing a nation under attack, while the eyes of the world were upon her. Having personally experienced the tense and difficult atmosphere, she now seems to be the only person who can truly empathize with the feelings of Israel’s 2025 Eurovision representative, Yuval Raphael.
As calls to disqualify Israel from the competition grow louder, alongside warnings of potential security incidents, Eden posted a story this evening sharing what the contest means to her. “Eurovision has always been more than just a song contest,” she expressed, making her firm stance on Israel’s participation clear and sending an empowering message to Yuval Raphael.
Supporting Israel’s Right to Participate
“Eurovision has always been more than just a song contest,” Eden wrote. “it’s celebration of unity, diversity, and the unshakable power of music to bring people together.” According to her, Eurovision embodies values of equality and representation, and especially during times of controversy, it is crucial to allow every voice to be heard. Eden Golan emphasizes that “Israel has every right to stand proud on that stage,” particularly amid the heated debate surrounding Israel’s participation these days.
Standing With Yuval Raphael
From a place of solidarity with Yuval Raphael, Eden Golan continued in her story: “There is no one more worthy to carry that voice than you, Yuval. Your strength, your heart, and your talent shine through every note. Keep leading with love, keep singing with courage, and keep being the resilient person you are. No one can take your voice – or your place – away.”
Beyond this public support, Eden Golan shared in an interview the advice she gave Yuval: “I spoke with her and warned her about the boos. I told her – prepare for it, don’t think headphones will block everything. But I truly hope that this year it will be less extreme. Yuval is amazing, she’s ready for this and deserves to be there.”
Backstage Atmosphere: “People Avoided Me Like the Plague”
Eden describes the difficult atmosphere backstage. According to her, out of 37 participating countries, only a few reached out: “Tali from Luxembourg was amazing, Germany and France also said kind words backstage. But most just kept their distance, didn’t want to take pictures with me, didn’t want to talk to me. They were afraid they’d be boycotted if seen with me. You could say it was the Irish, the Greek, or the Dutch. Karma comes back! Oh, can I say that? Anyway, everything comes back. I truly believe in karma and energy. Amidst all this hate, I came with only love. I believe everything comes back, and I saw it come back – even from people who aren’t Israeli or Jewish, from all over the world.”
Eden also shared an incident where she was required to leave the main artists’ area on the day of the final: “Suddenly, they moved us to an isolated room, as if we were lepers. But in the end, it actually turned out well-we got a huge, quiet room, without noise around us.”
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the name of the song to be performed by Yuval Raphael, who will represent Israel as song number 14 in the running order of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, which will take place on May 15 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was written by Keren Peles, who also wrote “Hurricane,” Israel’s entry in last year’s contest. The song is performed in English, French, and Hebrew.
“New Day Will Rise” touches on one of the most universal and profound themes — the life-giving power of love and hope. The lyrics speak of coping with loss, separation, and pain, but also about the possibility of renewal and overcoming adversity. The song conveys the belief that every ending holds the promise of a new beginning, that pain will eventually fade, and that love will remain with us.
As of now, Israel is ranked fourth in the betting odds ahead of Eurovision 2025.
Yuval Raphael – Who are you?
Yuval, 24, from Ra’anana, lived in Geneva, Switzerland, during her childhood. She disclosed that she escaped from a Hamas terror attack on October 7th, during which grenades were thrown and shots were fired at a party. Many around her were killed, and she had to pretend to be dead to survive. What strengthens Yuval is music and advocacy for Israel. She has spoken in front of world leaders, met influential people, and even spoke at a Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva. She has become a focal point for international advocacy, presenting the true face of Israel and correcting the false image portrayed in the global arena. Her insistence on presenting the truth has made her a central and influential figure in both Israeli and global culture.
Yuval has never sung professionally and only started performing in front of audiences in recent months. The echoes of her performances quickly spread on social media, garnering warm praise and responses from viewers.
Yuval won first place in the TV show “HaKokhav HaBa for Eurovision 2025” after being chosen by the panel of judges and the home audience. She will represent Israel in Eurovision 2025, to be held in Basel on May 13, 15, and 17, in hopes of bringing Israel its fifth win in the competition.
Eurovision 2025: This is Israel’s 47th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the competition in 1973 and has won it four times over the years. Israel’s last victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy” performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
