Israel’s entry for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest was revealed Sunday evening in a live broadcast on Kan, performed by the country’s representative, Yuval Raphael. Watch the official music video:
The song, New Day Will Rise (Yom Hadash Yafzia), was written and composed by Keren Peles and produced and arranged by Tomer Biran. It includes verses from Song of Songs and is performed in English, Hebrew, and French. Unlike last year, the song passed the European Broadcasting Union’s review process without objections.
While the song was approved for the competition without issue, its selection process in Israel sparked backlash. As first reported by Ynet, more than 20 Israeli songwriters protested, arguing that Peles' song was chosen through a process that presented a conflict of interest. Some even threatened to petition the Supreme Court.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
A recent meeting between the songwriters and Kan executives led to a compromise: Kan promised greater transparency in future selections, and the songwriters agreed to drop legal action.
Yuval Raphael, who will represent Israel in the second semifinal, was chosen after winning The Next Star for Eurovision. During the competition, she shared her harrowing personal story: On October 7, she was in a protected shelter and had to play dead to hide from Hamas terrorists.