Road to Basel: Israel
Road to Basel: Israel! As the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Israel.
Yuval Raphael
Yuval Raphael, a 24-year-old Israeli singer from Ra’anana, embarked on her professional music career in 2024. She quickly gained national recognition after winning the 11th season of HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star), Israel’s national selection for Eurovision. Before her rise to fame, Raphael’s early life was marked by a three-year stay in Geneva, Switzerland, during which she became fluent in French. Aditionnaly, her musical influences are notably diverse, spanning from classic rock bands as Led Zeppelin and the Scorpions to contemporary pop icons such as Beyoncé and Celine Dion. Notably, Raphael is a survivor of the October 7, 2023, Nova music festival attack, an experience that has profoundly influenced her artistic expression.
“New Day Will Rise”
Israel’s Eurovision entry, “New Day Will Rise,” is a multilingual ballad performed in English, French, and Hebrew. Written by Keren Peles and produced by Tomer Biran, the song was selected through an internal committee process and released on March 9, 2025. The lyrics convey themes of resilience and hope, with the Hebrew line referencing Song of Songs 8:7: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”
HaKokhav HaBa 2025
Israel’s national selection for Eurovision 2025 was meticolously conducted through the reality singing competition HaKokhav HaBa. The show aired on Keshet 12 and online via mako.co.il, culminating in a final held at the Neve Ilan Communications Center. Yuval Raphael emerged victorious on January 22, 2025, earning the right to represent Israel in Basel.
The final results were:
- Yuval Raphael, singing “Writing’s on the Wall“
- Valerie Hamaty, “Imagine“
- Red Band and Moron Aharoni, “Be Still My Love“
- Daniel Wais, “Let it Be”
Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest
Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 45 times since its debut in 1973. The country has won the contest four times: in 1978 (Izhar Cohen & The Alpha Beta’s “A-ba-ni-bi”, 1979 (Gali Atari & Milk and Honey‘s “Hallelujah”), 1998 (Dana International‘s “Diva”), and 2018 (Netta‘s “Toy”). Israel continues to be a strong contender, with high placings in 2023 and 2024.
A Random Israeli Entry
Reflecting on Israel’s Eurovision history, random.org chose the 2009 one. Israeli Noa and Palestinian Mira Awad sang in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic and English. The song is entitled “There Must Be Another Way”. Song and title speak for themselves.
Betting Odds
As of now, Yuval Raphael’s “New Day Will Rise” is in 5th place in order to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Bookmakers currently give it a 2nd place to win the 2nd semifinal.
