Israel’s Eurovision performance disrupted by protestors during semi-final

Yuval Raphael has faced disruption during her semi-final rehearsal (Picture: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

Israel’s Eurovision act Yuval Raphael faced disruption during a rehearsal performance at the contest’s semi-final.

The Swiss broadcaster hosting this year’s competition, SRG SSR, released a statement following the incident.

‘During the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the ESC this afternoon, the performance of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was disrupted.

‘Six people, including a family, disrupted the rehearsal with oversized flags and whistles. Security personnel were able to quickly identify those involved and escort them out of the hall.’

The organisers emphasised that inclusion is at the forefront of the competition.

‘We would like to thank all the artists, delegations, staff, fans and guests, including many children, who are making ESC 2025 a unique experience.

‘At the same time, we would like to emphasise that the organisers are committed to a neutral, safe, inclusive and respectful environment at the ESC.’

Raphael performs the song ‘New Day Will Rise’ during the dress rehearsal (Picture: EPA)

Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision has proved to be highly controversial, in light of the country’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protests have taken place in host city Basel throughout the week, and Palestinian flags were spotted in the crowd during the semi-final.

The Palestinian flag could be seen in the crowd (Picture: Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

Last year, there were also demonstrations over the inclusion of Israel’s act Eden Golan, 21, whose performances were met with both cheers and boos.

In preparation for her time on stage, Raphael has revealed she has prepared for ‘booing’.

The 24-year-old singer told the BBC: ‘I think I’m expecting it. But we are here to sing and I’m going to sing my heart out for everyone.’

Who is Israel’s 2025 Eurovision act Yuval Raphael?

Yuval is a singer from Israel and a survivor of the October 7 Nova music festival attack, which killed 378 people.

When Hamas terrorists launched an ambush on attendees at the open-air music festival, Raphael rushed to hide in a nearby kibbutz with 50 others. She was one of just 11 survivors, after being forced to hide under dead bodies for eight hours.

Raphael has spoken previously about the shocking details of the attack.

‘It had become the tomb for almost 40 souls seeking refuge with us,’ she told the UN Human Rights Council in March last year.

‘The physical injuries I sustained are healing, but the mental scars will stay with me forever.’

Nearly two years on, Yuval, who still has shrapnel lodged in her head and leg from October 7, has said she isn’t daunted by the backlash to Israel’s inclusion again this year.

‘I’ve been given another chance at life, so it’s my duty to not be afraid – and to spread the light. I see it as an honour and a responsibility. I love my country, I love the Israeli people,’ she told the Daily Mail.

Kan, the national broadcaster of Israel, filed a police complaint after a ‘throat-slitting’ gesture appeared to be directed at Raphael during the opening ceremony of Eurovision 2025.

In a video shared online, a man can be seen holding a Palestinian flag and making a gesture that looks like a throat-slitting motion as Raphael walks past him during the turquoise carpet event.

Meanwhile, 72 former contestants have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be banned.

In an open letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the 72 musicians, lyricists and performers associated with the contest called for the exclusion of Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster.

Protestors waved the Palestinian flag as Yuval Raphael performed during the rehearsal ahead of Semi Final(Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)

The letter alleged the broadcaster was ‘complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people.’

The letter also accused Eurovision organisers of ‘whitewashing and normalising [Israel’s] crimes’ by ‘continuing to platform’ the country.

It emphasised that there was a ‘double-standard’ after Russia was expelled from the competition in 2022.

A spokesperson for the EBU responded in a statement: ‘We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.

‘The EBU is not immune to global events but, together with our members, it is our role to ensure the contest remains, at its heart, a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.

‘We all aspire to keep the Eurovision song contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.’

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