One of the survivors of the Hamas Islamic terrorist group's attack on October 7, 2023, Yuval Raphael, will be Israel's representative at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland, in May.
“I can’t explain how excited and ready I am. Thank you for giving me this great honour and trusting me to represent my country on the big Eurovision stage in Switzerland,” Raphael said on public broadcaster Kan, which is in charge of selecting Israel’s Eurovision candidate.
Yuval Raphael, 24, won the show 'HaKokhav HaBa' ('The Next Star') on public broadcaster Kan.
Raphael recalled that during the Hamas attack, she managed to be rescued after hiding for several hours in a shelter, where only 11 of the 40 people present survived.
For the second year in a row, Israel's participation in one of Europe's most important music competitions will be marked by the events of October 7, 2023.
At the previous edition of Eurovision, Kan had to modify the lyrics of the song that his representative would perform, to avoid being disqualified for the “too political” nature of his entry, which spoke about the Hamas attacks of October 7.
Israel's participation has sparked controversy in 2024, with many European politicians and media calling for its veto over the war against the Hamas terrorist organisation in Gaza, comparing it to Russia's suspension in 2022 following attacks on Ukraine.
In March, public television Kan is expected to announce which song the winner of the 'HaKokhav HaBa' will sing. EFE and Aurora
A survivor of the Hamas attack on October 7 will represent Israel at Eurovision
