Israel has selected a survivor of the deadly October 7 Hamas attack to represent the nation at Eurovision this year.
Yuval Raphael, who has spoken about how she hid under dead bodies inside a bomb shelter for eight hours at the Nova music festival on that fateful day, won the HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star) Israeli talent show and will therefore compete in Switzerland in May. The news comes a few days after the beginning of the Gaza ceasefire, as hostages are slowly returned to their families.
Raphael has been public in the past about the trauma she suffered from the attack, speaking at the UN Human Rights Council and explaining that she still has shrapnel in her head and leg. The Nova music festival saw dozens kidnapped and killed by Hamas and was the site of utter devastation on that day more than 15 months ago.
During the final of the Israeli music competition, Raphael sang ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”, with the BBC reporting she dedicated it to “all the angels” who were killed at the festival. She was reported to have said after winning the show: “I can’t explain how excited and ready I am! Thank you for giving me this huge honour and trusting me to represent my country on the grand Eurovision stage in Switzerland.”
Last year’s Israeli entry, titled “October Rain”, was met with controversy and eventually forced to alter its lyrics for being overly political.
Eurovision will take place in Basel, Switzerland in 2025 following last year’s victory for Swiss entry Nemo.