From the Liveblog of
Saturday, May 17, 2025
‘Am Yisrael Chai’: Yuval Raphael performs ‘New Day Will Rise’ in Eurovision final
Amy Spiro is a reporter and writer with The Times of Israel
Israel’s Yuval Raphael performs her song “New Day Will Rise” at the grand final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.
“Thank you, Europe, Am Yisrael Chai,” she shouts after completing her song.
עם ישראל חי, יובל: צפו בהופעה המושלמת של יובל רפאל בגמר האירוויזיון pic.twitter.com/SftWXRoAxm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 17, 2025
Raphael takes the stage, fourth in the lineup of the 26 final acts, vying for both votes from the public and from professional juries from each participating country.
Voters from around the world can cast their votes at www.esc.vote.
Only a handful of Palestinian flags can be seen in the audience, despite Israeli fears that they would be a dominant presence after Swiss organizers relaxed flag rules for this year.
Outside the arena, a few hundred anti-Israel protesters gathered, waving Palestinian flags and burning Israeli and American flags and firing smoke bombs, with police working to block their path.
The Times of Israel Community.