Israel in Eurovision spotlight at second semifinal

The Eurovision Song Contest wants to be apolitical – but this mission seems impossible, even this year, when the Israeli Yuval Raphael is a survivor of the Hamas massacre.

Eurovision. Nemo, a non-binary Swiss artist and winner of Eurovision 2024, expressed his opposition to Israel's participation in the 2025 edition, believing that Israeli actions would contradict the values of peace and unity of the competition. "Iel" also regretted that artists were not allowed to present themselves with the LGBT rainbow flag... The repetitions of Israeli candidate Yuval Raphael, who survived the attack of 7 October 2023, were a…

Several contributions had to be defused and then there is the topic of Israel: The controversy gathered the ESC team on the second evening of the semi-finals. Good idea?

Eurovision winner calls for show hopeful to be AXED days before Contest final

EUROVISION 2024 winner Nemo has called for Israel to be axed from this year’s competition, just days before the final is set to take place. Nemo made history last year as the first non-binary artist to win Eurovision. Eurovision champ Nemo of Switzerland, who won the song The Code, has called on Israel to be banned from the final Israel’s Yuval Raphael performing her son Israel was protested during their live performance on Thursday Now, they’re…

Yuval Raphael takes the stage

Yuval Raphael performed Israel's entry to Eurovision, "A New Day Will Rise," in the second semi-final of the s

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael experiences hatred at ESC 2025. Low point: a head-off gesture in her direction. Raphael describes BILD's handling of it.