Noa Kirel opens up in an interview about the criticism directed at Israel, the withdrawal of five countries from Eurovision in protest of Israel’s participation, and various other hot topics related to the contest.
Noa Kirel, Israel’s 2023 Eurovision representative with the song “Unicorn” — which earned third place — gave an emotional interview to the British national broadcaster BBC television program “The World Tonight”. Speaking openly, she reflected on the major changes in Eurovision since her performance, particularly in light of the ongoing Israel–Gaza conflict and the shifting attitudes toward Israeli participants over the past two years. Kirel highlighted the importance of Israel’s confirmed participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Vienna, Austria. She also commented on the decision by Iceland, Spain, The Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to withdraw from the contest in protest.
Kirel expressed her deep disappointment at the decision of the five countries to boycott Eurovision, citing accusations of “war crimes and genocide” directed at Israel. She stated:
“The Eurovision Song Contest is a bridge, not a wall. Its purpose is to bring joy and connect hearts through music. Unfortunately, some countries have chosen to let politics ruin the celebration. Israel is a peace-seeking nation that has not violated any Eurovision regulations”.
She criticized the withdrawing countries, emphasizing that the ongoing conflict has been taken out of context:
“Israel witnessed horrors on October 7th and chose to defend itself — just like any other country would. Yet, the boycotting nations choose to ignore reality”.
Kirel was also asked about her opinion regarding Eden Golan and Yuval Raphael, who represented Israel in the two years following her participation. Both faced harsh criticism during the war with Gaza and were reportedly subjected to backstage isolation and boycotts from other delegations.
“Representing my country in Eurovision was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. I felt loved, and that every artist truly came to celebrate music. Hearing that Yuval Raphael and Eden Golan didn’t experience that breaks my heart. They are incredibly talented singers who had to face cruelty for political reasons unrelated to the competition. Their resilience inspires me and reminds us what Eurovision is truly about”.
The singer was also asked about proposed changes to the public voting system following accusations from fans and European broadcasters that the Eurovision 2025 results were rigged in Israel’s favor. She replied that she has always stood for honesty and told that If the changes mean ensuring fairer and more transparent results, then this is definitely the right step.
Kirel concluded the interview with a direct message to those accusing Israel of vote manipulation:
“Honestly, I feel that in this difficult time for Israel, these complaints about the vote are another form of antisemitism. Instead of looking for excuses for Israel’s success — let’s all just focus on the music!”
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.
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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.
