Yuval Raphael, Israel’s representative at Eurovision 2025, landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday evening to a warm welcome following her second-place finish in Switzerland. Upon arrival, Rafael addressed the media, expressing deep pride in representing her country on the global stage.
"I returned with great feelings of pride, proud to represent this very special and strong country," she said. "With a song that connected me to my emotions each time, and in my eyes, the true message behind it is the State of Israel, which is going through what it’s going through – and it always sees the day anew, as a new beginning."
Raphael expressed heartfelt thanks for the support she received throughout the competition. "A huge thank you for giving me the privilege of being your voice, for trusting me to convey our message. I hope I brought you a lot of pride – that’s all I wanted," she added.
Despite her success, Raphael underscored that the moment was not complete. “It won’t be a real victory as long as all our hostages aren’t home,” she said solemnly. “May they return very soon.”
Performing the emotionally charged New Day Will Rise, Raphael captivated both the audience and viewers at home. Her moving performance concluded with the powerful declaration, “Am Yisrael Chai,” drawing loud applause.
Israel garnered 297 points from the public vote, briefly taking the lead before finishing in second place with 357 total points. Austria’s J.J. ultimately won the competition with the song Wasted Love, earning 436 points.
In the jury vote, Raphael received 60 points, including 12 from Azerbaijan and 7 each from France and Ireland, despite the latter's prior stance opposing Israel’s participation. Other points came from Croatia, the Netherlands, Albania, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Ukraine, Finland, Luxembourg, Greece, and Georgia. Israel’s jury awarded its top score—12 points—to Greece.