Israel Eurovision singer jeered at amid ban calls – but they sail through to grand final
Israel's Eurovision Song Contest entry Yuval Raphael was met with boos as she performed at the semi-finals amid calls for the country to be banned from the competition like Russia
Eurovision 2025 is well underway with the grand final taking place this weekend. Nations from across Europe have descended on the host city of Basel in Switzerland in the hopes of impressing with their musical talents.
However, the singing competition has been plagued by controversy over Israel’s participation in the event. Just last week, over 70 past Eurovision stars penned a letter demanding the contest chiefs to exclude Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
following Israel’s war in Gaza has been named a genocide by Amnesty International. According to Reuters, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, with more than a third being under 18.
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Meanwhile, Israel’s military say 407 of its soldiers have been killed, as reported by Reuters. Former Eurovision acts have urged Israel to not be allowed to compete over the country’s “genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people.”
Yuval Raphael has made it to this year’s final(Image: Getty Images)
The letter, published on Artists For Palestine, was signed by former winners Ireland’s Charlie McGettigan and Portugal’s Fernando Tordo, as well as British singer Mae Muller and French singer La Zarra. It was also signed by two of last year’s competitors Ásdís María and GÅTE
