A survivor of the Oct. 7 Nova massacre has been chosen to represent Israel at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Yuval Raphael — who survived the Hamas slaughter by hiding under piles of dead bodies inside a bomb shelter — earned her spot in the international extravaganza by winning her country’s Rising Star competition, also known as the “Hakochav Haba,” Wednesday night.
“I can’t explain how excited and ready I am!” Raphael told Channel 12. “Thank you for giving me the huge privilege and trusting me to represent my people.”
The 24-year-old singer from Ra’anana won the Israeli competition with renditions of Abba’s “Dancing Queen” and Sam Smith’s “Writing’s On The Wall.”
She told viewers that she only started singing professionally after surviving the massacre on Oct. 7 2023. “Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process,” she said during the competition.
She now moves forward to compete for her country in Switzerland on May 17 in the annual extravaganza watched by millions across Europe.
She won’t be able to pick the song she’ll perform, with a committee instead choosing the tunes to be performed and revealing them in March.
