A survivor of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack at the Nova music festival will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.
Yuval Raphael, 24, qualified for the contest yesterday after winning the Israeli singing competition HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star) - a talent show whose winner is selected for Eurovision.
During the final, she sang a version of ABBA's 'Dancing Queen', dedicating it to "all the angels" who were killed at the festival.
“Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process,” she also said during the show.
Raphael was partying with friends at the Nova festival on 7 October 2023 when it came under attack by Hamas militants. She spoke to the UN Human Rights Council about her experience of surviving the attack, describing piling into a bomb shelter with dozens of other festival-goers.
“When the bodies of those murdered fell on us, I understood that hiding under them was the only way I could survive this nightmare,” she testified. Of the 51 people in the shelter, she said, 40 were killed that day.
“The physical injuries I sustained that day are healing, but the mental scars will stay with me forever,” she stated.
Last year’s Eurovision Song Contest was one of the most controversial editions in recent years. There were protests over its decision to allow Israel to compete amid the humanitarian crisis and death toll caused by its military assault in Gaza. Several campaigns to block Israel from taking part were fruitless and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which hosts the event, ruled Israel was allowed to compete.
2024 Israeli contestant Eden Golan was ordered to change the name of her song ‘October Rain’ so that it would be in line with the contest’s rules which ban political statements. She was also confined to her hotel room and was met with boos during the final dress rehearsal.
Switzerland’s Nemo won the competition last year, meaning that Switzerland will host this year’s edition in Basel.
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