Yuval Raphael יובל רפאל | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) Raphael in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 5 November 2000 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Origin | Ra'anana, Israel |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2024–present |
Yuval Raphael (born 5 November 2000) is an Israeli singer and songwriter. Having won the eleventh season of the singing competition HaKokhav HaBa, she represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "New Day Will Rise", finishing in second place.
Raphael is the daughter of Liat and Zvika Raphael, and the niece of businesswoman Ronit Raphael, and comes from Ra'anana in the Central District of Israel. She was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in Pedaya. She spent three years of her childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. As a child, she listened to rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and the Scorpions, and singers such as Beyoncé and Céline Dion. During her school years, Raphael pursued theater and Arabic studies. After finishing high school, Raphael served as a checkpoint combat soldier in the Jerusalem area with the Military Police Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). She began singing professionally in 2024.
Raphael was attending the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival near Re'im on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked the festival. She hid inside a Death Shelter near Be'eri with 50 other people, while sustaining shrapnel injuries from grenades thrown into the shelter. Raphael was one of 11 survivors, having hid under dead bodies for eight hours. In a speech before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2024, she described what she witnessed during the massacre.
On 19 November 2024, Raphael's audition for the eleventh season of HaKokhav HaBa which served as the Israeli artist selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, aired, where she performed "Anyone" and advanced to the next round with a score of 98%. She eventually progressed to the final on 22 January 2025, where she performed "Dancing Queen" and "Writing's on the Wall". She dedicated her performance of the former to those killed by the Nova music festival massacre. She ranked first and was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision Song Contest 2025, succeeding Eden Golan, whose appearance on the previous edition had attracted controversy as a result of her country's involvement in the Gaza war. At the time of her announcement, she was living in Ra'anana.
Raphael represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "New Day Will Rise", written and composed by Keren Peles and produced by Tomer Biran. The entry was presented on 9 March 2025 together with its official music video, released by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan). The song was described by media as a multilingual orchestral pop ballad featuring lyrics in English, French, and Hebrew and incorporating Hebrew Bible verse from the Song of Songs, symbolising hope, unity, and renewal.
Israel was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, held on 15 May 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Raphael performed 14th out of 16 entries and qualified for the final after winning the semi-final with a total of 203 points from the televote.
In the final on 17 May 2025, Raphael performed fourth in the running order. Israel finished in second place overall with 357 points, winning the televote with 297 points and placed 14th with the professional juries with 60 points. "New Day Will Rise" debuted at number one on the Israeli Airplay Chart and entered the top 50 of the singles chart in Austria, Lithuania, Sweden, and Switzerland.
On 22 May 2025, Raphael performed alongside Keren Peles at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv during a public event held in solidarity with the hostages.
Her first post-Eurovision single, "Amber Skies", was released on 16 October 2025 as part of the soundtrack for the HBO Max series One Day in October. On 19 October 2025, Raphael released her debut EP 22:22, described by Raphael as a deeply personal project reflecting themes of inner peace and emotional recovery. In an interview with Mako, she stated that the recurring number "22:22" symbolizes calm and spiritual balance in her life.
On 12 June 2026, Raphael performed at the 2026 Tel Aviv Pride festival, which featured its' first parade since the October 7 attacks. She gave the first public performance of her single "Papa" at the festival.
Raphael performed at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Maccabiah Games on 1 July 2026.
During HaKokhav HaBa, Raphael worked closely with fellow contestant Ido Malka, and the two later entered into a romantic relationship and announced it in March 2025. Malka accompanied Raphael as part of the Israeli delegation at Eurovision.
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| 22:22 |
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| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album or EP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISR |
ISR Air. |
AUT |
LTU |
SWE |
SWI |
UK Down. |
UK Sales | |||
| "New Day Will Rise" | 2025 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 37 | 89 | 18 | 29 | 29 | Non-album single |
| "Amber Skies" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | One Day in October (soundtrack) | |
| "Papa" | 2026 | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album or EP |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISR Air. | |||
| "Yidalek ha'or" | 2025 | 8 | 22:22 |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Eurovision Awards | Outstanding Vocals | Herself | Nominated |
The main theme of the series "One Day in October" is performed by Yuval Raphael
| International | |
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| Artists | |
