Nova attack survivor Yuval Raphael chosen to represent Israel at 2025 Eurovision

Raphael survived the Nova massacre while hiding under corpses in a bomb shelter

Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre, has been chosen as Israel’s representative for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after winning Channel 12’s Rising Star with performances of hits like ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall."

Raphael (24) from Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv, began her professional singing career after surviving the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 Israelis and other internationals to Gaza.

Raphael auditioned for the contest with Demi Lovato’s song "Anyone," earning the highest score of the season. As the competition progressed, her performances – such as Bruno Mars’ "Talking to the Moon" and Demi Lovato’s "Warrior" – drew significant attention.

Other notable contestants included Christian Arab-Israeli Valerie Hamaty, who took second place; Moran Aharoni and Red Band, who finished third; and Daniel Weiss, who came in fourth.

As a survivor of one of the "death shelters" – fortified bomb shelters where dozens sought refuge during the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023 – Raphael is a passionate advocate for the survivors of the Nova Festival.

In March 2024, Raphael traveled to Geneva to join the Jerusalem Institute of Justice at the UN headquarters, where she testified about her experience surviving the atrocities on Oct. 7, 2023.

She survived along with 12 others in the bomb shelter outside Kibbutz Be’eri where she and 49 other people hid.

For eight hours, Raphael lay beneath a dead body, playing dead among the corpses. "I can’t explain how heavy a body becomes when it is dead," she remarked.

Despite the trauma she endured, Raphael has focused on the joy music brings her, she expressed excitement in a statement released by Channel 12: “I can't explain how excited and ready I am! Thank you for giving me the huge privilege and trusting me to represent my people.”

Raphael will sing a song selected by a professional committee and will be revealed live during a KAN 11 broadcast in March.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Switzerland on May 17 and will be broadcast live in Israel on KAN 11.