The Geneva conference shakes the Eurovision community: three former Israeli representatives react for the first time to Israel’s confirmed participation in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, and to the following withdrawals.
Netta Barzilai, Yuval Raphael, and Dana International, who represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest, share for the first time their feelings following the decision that Israel will participate in Eurovision 2026, and react to the announcements of withdrawal from Spain, The Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia.
Dana International to withdrawing countries: “I performed in your countries several times — what changed?”
The singer, winner of Eurovision 1998 with the song “Diva”, shared on her Instagram page an emotional post expressing deep frustration and reflection following the conference. She posted in two languages – Hebrew and English – aiming to reach audiences worldwide.
Between the two posts, a notable difference emerged. In Hebrew, she focused on the frustration felt by many Israelis and the deep disappointment over the withdrawals. In English, she appealed to the world — especially the withdrawing countries — with a message of unity, hope, and peace.
In her Hebrew post, she wrote about feeling that the beautiful, developed, and beloved State of Israel — once warmly welcomed — is now unwanted, even having to fight for its right to join a competition meant to set politics aside and unite nations through music.
The singer thanked the TV show “HaKokhav HaBa” and the broadcaster Keshet for reviving Eurovision’s glamour and influence among Israelis and for highlighting the crucial importance of Israel’s presence on the European stage.
International concluded by sharing her vision for Israel’s next representative to Vienna: in her view, Israel should send a singer with European star qualities, performing a joyful, colorful, and optimistic pop song.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
In her English post, International presented her personal view of how global attitudes toward Israel changed since the war, addressing the withdrawing countries with a series of questions many share:
“I performed in your countries several times. We used to sing together, and I received warmth and affection — what changed? Why don’t you want us anymore? Do you understand the impact of your withdrawal? How will more hatred and pain help us?”
The singer explicitly defended Israel in her post and added a subtle jab at the withdrawing countries by attaching a clip from her 1999 Eurovision performance in Jerusalem of “Free”, proudly declaring “I’m free”.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
Dana shares the pain of many, generating empathy among people worldwide. The countries’ withdrawal reflects an unwillingness to accept the democratic outcome of the conference vote — effectively, “breaking the rules”. This decision primarily harms their own viewers, who lose the opportunity to support their national representative, while many Israelis feel ostracized.
If the nations that promote themselves as champions of human rights wish to maintain credibility, they must also respect democratic decisions that do not align with their positions.
Netta Barzilai and Yuval Raphael: “A New Day Will Rise!”
Netta Barzilai, winner of Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, hosted Yuval Raphael, Israel’s 2025 representative and runner-up with “New Day Will Rise”, at her concert last night. Together, they performed their beloved songs and concluded with a joint statement about the conference and its aftermath.
Netta said:
“I thank Eurovision for bravely choosing freedom and light over boycotts and blackouts, and for keeping Israel in the contest despite all the pressure.” She added an important message: “We must keep talking, learning, teaching, and living — no matter what happens!”
Raphael fully agreed with Barzilai’s words, and the two ended their performance with a message of light and renewal, shouting together “New day will rise”.
The two chose to focus on the positive aspects of the decision rather than the withdrawals, allowing the audience to view it through a lens of optimism and to believe that a brighter era lies ahead.
Follow us on Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitter
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 357 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
