Assaf Mishayev, the Jewish lead singer representing the Muslim country Azerbaijan at Eurovision, expressed his support for Israeli representative Yuval Raphael, just moments before he taking the stage for the Eurovision semi-finals.
Assaf Mishayev, the Jewish lead singer representing Azerbaijan at Eurovision
"This is a singing competition; it’s always disappointing when something goes wrong," Mishayev told Ynet at the press area in Basel. "We want to wish Yuval from here—stay strong, and everything will be alright."
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Mishayev, who was ranked 13th in the odds for Tuesday night's semi-final and was not expected to qualify for the final, did not shy away from the many journalists waiting for him in the press area. He continued to express empathy for the Israeli representative.
"The Eurovision brings people together: the music, the people—the musicians here are one family. I want to wish Yuval good luck. I love her, and with God’s help, everything will be fine."
When asked whether he was encouraging the Israeli audience to vote for him in the semi-final, Mishayev responded modestly: "If they can and want to, we’d be happy if they vote for us."
Mishayev and his band performed Tuesday evening, and did not make it into the finals.