Who is Yuval Raphael? Meet Israel's Eurovision 2025 entry
Israel last won Eurovision in 2018.
There is just under a week to go before the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 returns and a new winner is crowned.
The 2025 competition is being held in Switzerland, following Swiss artist Nemo's win with The Code, and hoping to follow suit is Yuval Raphael.
Representing Israel in this year's contest, Yuval will take centre stage during the second semi-final on Thursday 15th May. She will perform 14th, just after Luxembourg and before Germany.
Read on for everything you need to know about the singer as Eurovision 2025 arrives.
Who is Israel Eurovision 2025 entry Yuval Raphael?
Instagram: @yuvalraphael
TikTok: @yuval_raphael
Yuval Raphael is a singer and winner of The Rising Star, Israel's Eurovision selection contest.
In November 2024, Raphael audition for The Rising Star and performed a cover of Demi Lovato's Anyone, receiving a score of 98 per cent. She made it to the final and performed ABBA's Dancing Queen and Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall.
Raphael was one of the survivors at the Nova Sukkot Gathering festival in October 2023. She lay low in a bomb shelter with 50 other people where she hid under dead bodies for eight hours.
How old is Yuval Raphael?
Yuval Raphael is 24 years old.
What nationality is Yuval Raphael?
The Israeli singer was born and raised in Pedaya in central Israel. She also spent three years of her childhood in Switzerland, so this year's Eurovision will be a trip down memory lane!
What has Yuval Raphael said about representing Israel at Eurovision 2025?
Upon her being chosen to represent Israel in Switzerland, Yuval said she couldn't "digest" the news.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Yuval said [translated]: "You chose me to be the voice of our country, your representative, in front of hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world.
"I will do everything, to represent our country with the respect it deserves. As long as I have you, nothing scares me. We will stand strong in front of everyone, with huge love and pride.
"Proud to be a part of this nation! Thank you for embracing my heart every time anew. And thank you for giving me your vote."
What is Israel's Eurovision 2025 song called?
Yuval will represent Israel with the song New Day Will Rise.
Where did Israel come in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest?
Israel came in fifth place in last year's contest, scoring 375 points.. They were represented by Eden Golan with her song Hurricane.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 final will take place on Saturday 17th May 2025.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
