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Israel has secured a place in the Eurovision 2025 grand final, following a performance by Yuval Raphael that unfolded under heightened scrutiny and political tension. The 24-year-old singer advanced with her song New Day Will Rise, despite protests during Thursday’s dress rehearsal in Basel, Switzerland.
During the preview show, six demonstrators waved oversized Palestinian flags and blew whistles in an attempt to disrupt Raphael’s act. Though flags are permitted in the venue, limits on their size were exceeded. Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, which is hosting this year’s contest, confirmed that the protesters were swiftly ejected from the St Jakobshalle arena.
Israel’s participation in Eurovision has stirred controversy as the country’s military operations in Gaza continue to intensify. Broadcasters in Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have called for a debate over Israel’s involvement, while protests have been held on the streets of Basel.
Despite the incident, Raphael’s performance was unaffected, both during the rehearsal and the semi-final. Speaking to the BBC earlier in the week, she revealed her team had rehearsed with the sound of booing to prepare for disruptions. When her qualification was announced, she clasped her hands and blew a kiss toward the sky.
Raphael is now among the bookmakers’ favourites heading into Saturday’s final, where she’ll compete alongside acts from nine other countries that qualified from the second semi-final: Armenia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Malta. Australia’s surprise elimination was the biggest upset of the night, especially given the strong reception to their playful entry Milkshake Man. Ireland also failed to advance, continuing a disappointing run with only two qualifications in the last ten contests.
The UK, represented by the girl band Remember Monday, performed their track What The Hell Just Happened? During the semi-final. While not subject to the public vote due to the UK’s “Big Five” status, the band drew praise for their tight harmonies and theatrical staging.
Among the standout performances were Finland’s Erika Vikman, who delivered her sex-positive anthem Ich Komme atop a giant, fire-spouting microphone, and Latvia’s Tautumeitas, who enchanted viewers with an ethereal forest-themed act.
The Eurovision grand final airs Saturday at 20:00 BST (21:00 Swiss time) and will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Radio 2, and the BBC News website.
