Israel’s Eurovision 2025 singer pushes back against countries boycotting the competition
Yuval Raphael, Israel’s representative to Eurovision 2025 in Basel, spoke out against international calls to boycott Israel’s participation, warning that such moves deepen hostility and politicize a competition meant to unite people.
In an interview with the Daily Mail published Sunday, Raphael said that some countries justify exclusion under the language of morality, but in practice it only fuels hatred. She argued that collective boycotts reflect a fear of dialogue and punish millions of Eurovision fans who come for music and emotional connection rather than politics.
Addressing Nemo, the 2024 Eurovision winner who returned his trophy in protest of Israel’s participation, Raphael said that turning a unifying cultural event into a political statement misses the point of what Eurovision is meant to be.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
