The Eurovision final that took place Saturday night in Basel became an emotional watershed moment for Israelis and Israel supporters, as Yuval Raphael, Israel's representative to Eurovision 2025, captured second place against overwhelming odds thanks to an extraordinary 297 votes from public voting, while judges from participating countries awarded Israel a mere 60 points.
Israel, which languished in 15th place after the judges' votes, catapulted to first place in the competition after receiving public support from 34 out of 37 countries, as well as votes from the newly introduced "Rest of the World" category – a feature that allows fans from non-participating nations like Canada, the Philippines, Japan and others to participate in the voting process.
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This created a dramatic head-to-head showdown between Israel and Austria, which had received the highest number of points from the judges. For Israelis watching the competition, the moment of announcement was truly surreal, as they received alerts about missiles being fired from Yemen toward Israel, forcing many to follow the Eurovision results from within bomb shelters.
"There is no one prouder than me to be the voice of these people," Yuval Raphael said, her voice trembling with emotion as she began her remarks at the post-final press conference. "What a situation this is. Second place in Eurovision, that's what we need, right?" she added, still visibly stunned. "I don't know how to make sense of this situation at all, but all I have to say is – Am Israel Chai [the people of Israel live], and there never was and never will be anyone like us. [However] we will never have a victory like our hostages simply returning home... that's the real victory."
Thank you to everyone who voted.
I love each and every one of you more than everything in the world!
Am Yisrael Chai!
🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/1DnwauMk6t— Yuval Raphael (@YuvalRaphael_IL) May 17, 2025
Addressing the sirens that blared through Israel, Raphael said, "I heard about it, I'm so sorry that this is what we're going through," she added. "I love you with all my heart, I hope so much that everyone is safe. I'm sending you love. All I want is to return to you. Tomorrow I'm with you – through thick and thin, in sirens, in whatever comes our way. Truly. I just want to come back to you."
The second-place finish, against the backdrop of sirens – a stark reminder of the ongoing war – a massive pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the venue during the final, and two attempts to storm the stage during Raphael's performance, represents an extraordinary achievement. These challenging circumstances certainly didn't suggest Israel would finish among the top three countries this year.
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The disparity between European public support and the countries' juries was palpable this year, perhaps more pronounced than ever before. Raphael, who dominated the public vote with 297 points, became the first Israeli since Netta Barzilai to win the televoting component, and the first since Israeli singer Ofra Haza to secure second place overall in the competition. "If the judges had given us just 50 more points – Israel would have won Eurovision," Yoav Tzafir, the director of Israel's performance, said. "It's no secret – our supporters are ordinary people, the general public. Those against us represent the elite. That's the fundamental difference. But I feel like we won. This is a victory for all of us. It turns out you don't need the judges to achieve great success."
"In any case, what kept running through my mind – and I sincerely hope this doesn't sound presumptuous – is that truly, if you will it, it is no dream," Raphael added. "If you will it – it is no dream."
