Survivor’s song: Israel’s Eurovision star raises her voice from the ruins
She lived through 7 October by playing dead beneath the bodies of friends. Now Yuval Raphael has arrived at the Eurovision Song Contest to turn horror into hope
Richard Ferrer has been editor of Jewish News since 2009. As one of Britain's leading Jewish voices he writes for The Times, Independent, New Statesman and many other titles. Richard previously worked at the Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, edited the Boston Jewish Advocate and created the Channel 4 TV series Jewish Mum Of The Year.
The last time Yuval Raphael attended a major music festival, she thought she would die.
On the morning of 7 October 2023, the Israeli singer went from joyously dancing with friends at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im to lying in a bomb shelter, drenched in someone else’s blood, playing dead as Hamas terrorists returned again and again to see who was still alive.
The 24-year-old from Ra’anana hid beneath the bodies for eight hours as the corpses above her were repeatedly shot. Of more than 40 people in that shelter, Yuval was one of 11 to make it out alive. She still carries the scars, shrapnel embedded in her head and leg and memories no treatment can erase.
“I witnessed unspeakable horrors,” she told the UN Human Rights Council last April. “Friends and strangers alike were injured and killed in front of my eyes. When the bodies of those murdered fell on us, I understood that hiding under them was the only way I could survive.”
Next week – after earning the right to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland by winning talent show The Rising Star on Keshet TV – Yuval will bare her bruised soul to the world, performing New Day Will Rise, a stripped-back ballad about grief, survival and healing. Like last year’s Israeli entry, Hurricane by Edan Golan, the song carries the crushing weight of 7 October.
“This is something that is very important for me to say,” she tells Jewish News ahead of rehearsals for next week’s semi-final. “I urge anyone who went through trauma and needs help to get treatment. Sometimes everyone needs some help. I truly believe in that. Treatment helped me a lot. I have to thank my family and friends for of their support and also music, which has always been a huge part of my life.”
Treatment helped me a lot. I have to thank my family and friends for of their support and also music, which has always been a huge part of my life
To avoid a repeat of last year, which saw Edan heckled and booed on stage and intimidated behind the scenes, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has tightened the rules, forbidding artists from making political statements.
For Yuval, that means remaining silent about the trauma that brought her here – even as it defines her entire performance. Indeed, according to Israeli media she will be joined in Basel by fellow 7 October survivors, who will be in the audience on the night to support her.
This year, the atmosphere is no less hostile. Iceland’s broadcaster has called for Israel to be banned. Delegations have threatened walkouts. Campaigners are urging the EBU to take a stand. Eurovision’s slogan United by Music has never rung so hollow.
“I trust the EBU and all the good people in charge. Also, I have an amazing team, all experienced, together with the Kan Israeli delegation that surrounds me, so I can focus on the most important thing – giving the best performance that I possibly can.”
She chooses her words carefully, aware of the tightrope she must walk. “I understand and respect the rules of the competition, which focus on music rather than anything else. I have no intention of straying from that. I hope to touch people’s hearts. To bring us closer through music.”
She then adds, quietly but firmly: “I can only say one thing, which is the most important to me – that I wish and hope for all the hostages to come back home.”
New Day Will Rise is not subtle. Its video of barefoot dancers in a sunlit field echoes Nova’s innocence before dawn.
The lyrics speak of loss and defiance. “It’s about saying, ‘I’m still here,’” Yuval says. “Real people, real emotion. I want my performance to feel honest. Intimate. Stripped back.”
When she speaks about Eden Golan, there’s genuine warmth. “I love her,” she says. “She’s a phenomenal singer and such a good person. We have spoken about how the most important thing is to stay focused on the music, on the performance and not let the noise become a distraction. It is an honour to represent Israel, to stand there and sing. It means everything. I dreamed of this moment and worked hard to make it happen.”
Asked about her earliest Eurovision memories, her mood lifts. “I remember as a kid my parents watching the Eurovision on TV,” she says. Golden Boy by Nadav Guedj (Israel’s 2015 entry) is my first memory of the competition. I even remember the dance! And I loved Spaceman by Sam Ryder (which came second for the UK in 2022). And our last winner, Toy by Neta Barzilai was one of the most entertaining And, of course, Hurricane by Eden last year was one of the most powerful and brave.”
Yuval Raphael’s evocative ballad is the latest addition to that canon. A song not just about surviving but finding the strength to sing after the silence.
About believing that no matter how painful the challenge, a new day will rise.
• The Eurovision Song Contest kicks off with the first semi final on Tuesday 13 May. Yuval performs in Thursday’s second semi final. The final takes place on Saturday 17 May
Watch Yuval Raphael perform New Day Will Rise
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