**Israeli Singer to Represent Israel at Eurovision**
Yuval Raphael has been chosen to represent Israel in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. This comes after she survived a deadly attack on a music festival in October 2023.
Raphael was just 24 years old when Hamas terrorists attacked the Nova music festival, killing 360 people and taking 40 others hostage. She claims to have hidden under dead bodies in a bomb shelter for eight hours to stay alive.
This talented singer rose to fame after competing on Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa, The Next Star. She won the competition and will now perform at Eurovision in Switzerland in May. Raphael says she’s “excited and prepared” for the event.
Raphael started singing professionally only last year. However, her life was forever changed by the attack on the music festival. She still has shrapnel embedded in her head and legs from that day.
At the finals of HaKokhav HaBa, Raphael sang a rendition of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and dedicated it to the victims of the festival. She believes that music played a crucial role in her healing process after the attack.
Raphael is fluent in three languages: English, French, and Hebrew. She has also been advocating for Israel on various platforms, including giving a speech at the UN Human Rights Council about her experience surviving an attack.
The official song for Raphael’s Eurovision performance will be revealed by Israeli public broadcaster Kan next week.
**Israel’s Previous Eurovision Performances**
This won’t be Israel’s first time competing in Eurovision. In 2009, Eden Golan represented Israel with the song “Hurricane,” which placed fifth. However, her performance was met with criticism due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza at that time.
The European Broadcasting Union allowed Israel to compete despite campaigns to prevent it from participating. Golan faced threats against her delegation during a dress rehearsal in Sweden, forcing her to stay in her hotel room when not performing.
**Background on the Conflict**
Israel and Gaza reached a ceasefire after 15 months of fighting began in October 2023, when Hamas terrorists broke through Israel’s perimeter fencing at multiple locations. The conflict resulted in over 1,200 people being killed and 251 taken hostage.
The IDF responded with an air and land campaign, leading to the deaths of more than 47,100 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Read More @ www.bbc.com