During Friday night’s dress rehearsal for the Eurovision final—used to determine the jury votes—Israel’s Yuval Raphael performed “New Day Will Rise” to a mix of cheers and boos, with applause ultimately prevailing. The Israeli delegation expressed high satisfaction with Raphael’s performance, calling it her best yet.
“You gave your best,” delegation members told Raphael as she stepped off stage. Yoav Tzafir, the delegation’s director, said: “Yuval delivered when it counted—during the jury rehearsal. Every note was perfect, and she pushed through despite the initial wave of loud boos. If the juries don’t give points to this performance, then it’s simply not about the performance itself.”
Applause and boos for Yuval Raphael
This was Raphael’s second-to-last rehearsal before the grand final, which airs Saturday night on Kan. She performed the updated version of her song, modified shortly before the semifinal.
“I was in the arena, and already during the opening video, you could see Palestinian flags,” said New Day Will Rise songwriter Keren Peles. “Yuval appeared on screen, not even on stage yet, and already the flags were waving. After the line ‘Many waters cannot quench love,’ the boos began. It was wild. Unbelievable, considering the performance was truly phenomenal. That response came purely from hate, from nowhere else.”
“She was completely above it,” Peles continued. “In that moment, she smiled and sang ‘New Day Will Rise.’ Then she said, ‘Thank you, I love you.’ That summed it all up. Yuval is an inspiration. She’s incredible. The entire professional team was moved. She just passed by us, and I cried. We’ve heard the song a thousand times, and we still cry. She’s a hero, a star, and a remarkable singer. She brings us pride and honor—this young woman is something special.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
During the flag parade segment earlier in the rehearsal, Raphael received warm applause, with no major disruptions. Ahead of the performance, the Israeli team held an improvised Friday night kiddush behind the scenes at the Malmö arena.
Inside the venue, a few Palestinian flags were visible, but they were outnumbered by Israeli flags waved by supporters. Security staff moved through the crowd, identifying and warning those who shouted boos.