Three years after the horrors she endured near Re’im and the massacre there, Israel’s 2025 Eurovision representative Yuval Raphael has shared new footage from that devastating day, along with an emotional message.
“Three years later, I return to the same place where I was born again, while at the same time this land is still bleeding,” Raphael wrote on her Instagram account.
“I’ll be honest and say that the dissonance between these two feelings that exist within me at the same time is something I’ve been trying to cope with for three years, and perhaps will have to cope with for the rest of my life. I’ve been through a lot, and you know that because you are an inseparable part of my journey. You came to know me only after I had spent a year and a half completely removed from the life I had known. A year and a half in which I learned my own soul all over again and focused solely on it.
“Since October 7, I think we have all been born again, just like a baby learning everything for the first time. And we are still learning how to leave the house, how to feel safe, how to be happy and how to dream. Over the past three years, I’ve learned that you don’t have to rush, you don’t have to immediately go back to being happy and you don’t have to be strong all the time. And to make dreams come true, you first have to be at one with your soul.”
Raphael added: “For a long time, my only goal was to get up in the morning and brush my teeth. Every day I managed to take that small step, I knew I had won the day. All my dreams, goals and aspirations were placed in a special drawer that would only be opened once my soul felt strong enough. I knew that before I could make my dreams come true, I first had to heal.
“Thank you to all the people who showed me that despite everything, there is still so much good in this world. Thank you for the gift of having you in my life. And thank you to this nation, which showed me what survival looks like. How to rise from the wreckage. Faith, love and unity.
“I know that out of all this pain, we will continue to choose life. Because that is who we are. We will continue to love. We will continue to dream. And may we bring enough honor to all those we lost along the way. May their memories be a blessing.”
Yuval Raphael in Re’im
(Photo: Instagram)
Since surviving the massacre, Raphael entered the public spotlight as a contestant on “The Rising Star,” “where she said she was determined to overcome her post-traumatic stress. Her participation ultimately earned her the chance to represent Israel at Eurovision.
Raphael’s personal story drew attention abroad, and she moved audiences across Europe with her performance, ultimately finishing second in the competition.