Yuval Raphael: Glimmer of hope at the ESC after terrible terror experiences!

Yuval Raphael: Glimmer of hope at the ESC after terrible terror experiences!

Israel has introduced its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025 in Switzerland with the song “New Day Will Rise”. 24-year-old Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the most brutal Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, embodies through her song a message of hope and overcoming pain. She lost many friends in the terrorist attack that targeted a music festival when terrorists killed 364 people and kidnapped many more. Raphael survived by hiding in a shelter for hours. Her song is not only a personal testimony, but also reflects the collective traumas of her nation, such as crown reported.

The song is about overcoming pain and mixes emotional passages with references to the terrible event in October. The accompanying video shows young people walking through a green and flowering landscape, which also includes red anemones, symbols of the Israeli south. These flowers represent the region that particularly suffered from the consequences of the attack. Raphael, who spent her childhood in Switzerland, sings in English, French and Hebrew, and her lyrics are encouraging with the words: "A new day will dawn, life will go on." Deutschlandfunk leads.