Eurovision Song Contest

Israel’s Eurovision future at risk over KAN funding bill, EBU warns

EBU Director-General Noel Curran warned that a bill changing KAN’s funding could harm Israel’s global standing and threaten its future participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

|ByTZUF TZIMERING, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
View of the offices of Israel's public broadcaster KAN in Jerusalem. January 31, 2023.
Moldovan singer Vlad Sabajuc, aka Satoshi and representing Moldova with the song 'Viva, Moldova!', performs during the dress rehearsal for the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 (ESC) at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria on May 16, 2026.

Moldova broadcaster chief resigns after Eurovision jury vote sparks public backlash

Many hundreds of fans took to social media to denounce the voting of Moldova's jury in Saturday's contest, which gave only three votes to neighboring Romania.

|ByREUTERS
Israeli singer Noam Bettan, who represented Israel at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna and finished in second place, is seen after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, May 17, 2026.

Louder than noise: Noam Bettan let music, not politics, define his performance - editorial

Israelis can take pride in Bettan, who represented the country with professionalism and restraint, blocking out all the outside noise to deliver a stellar performance.

|ByJPOST EDITORIAL
Noam Bettan with dancers

Who gave Israel the coveted 12 points? Noam Bettan secures 2nd at Eurovision thanks to public vote

Despite mass calls to boycott due to Israel’s participation, which led to several countries withdrawing from the contest entirely, Israel scored a whopping 220 points from the public televote.

|BySHIR PERETS

WATCH: Yuval Raphael takes stage at the Eurovision finale

Israel's Eurovision contestant Yuval Raphael took second place at the Eurovision finale on Saturday night.

MAY 17, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Yuval Raphael, representing Israel, performs "New Day Will Rise", during the Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, May 17, 2025.

Gal Gadot encourages Yuval Raphael before the Eurovision final

Speaking in Hebrew, Gadot told Raphael: “Celebrate your creation, it’s a creation of love and of so much light.”

MAY 17, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Raphael is representing Israel this year at Basel in the Eurovision song contest

Yuval Raphael pays homage to Theodor Herzl’s iconic Basel photo

The photo of Raphael on Friday was snapped in the same location where Herzl posed in 1901 when he was attending the fifth Zionist Congress.

MAY 16, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Raphael echoes Theodor Herzl’s pose in Basel.

'I spotted my friends from the bomb shelter': Yuval Raphael reacts to Eurovision semifinal

Raphael recounted spotting her fellow Nova music festival survivors in the audience, cheering her along.

MAY 16, 2025ByWALLA!
Yuval Raphael qualified for the Eurovision final in the second semi final on Thursday night.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael qualifies for Eurovision final

Raphael sang “New Day Will Rise,” a song by Keren Peles that references the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.

MAY 16, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Raphael at her second rehearsal this week.

New doc ‘Hurricane in Malmo’ looks at Eden Golan's Eurovision experience

Documentary about Eden Golan competing in the contest in Sweden last year.

MAY 14, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Eden Golan in ‘Hurricane in Malmo.’

Yuval Raphael keeps her cool at Eurovision's turquoise carpet

Raphael, who looked lovely in a flirty light-colored minidress, carried an Israeli flag past demonstrators screaming pro-Palestine slogans.

MAY 13, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
YUVAL RAPHAEL walks the turquoise carpet on Sunday in Basel, while pro-Palestinian protests take place

Yuval Raphael advances in Eurovision predictions as protesters call for exclusion of Israel

Eurovision’s director has repeatedly responded to such calls, saying Eurovision is a contest between public broadcasters, not gov'ts.

MAY 12, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Rafael performs in her second pre-contest rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest last week.

Nova festival survivor Yuval Raphael gears up to represent Israel at Eurovision

Many Eurovision fans bet money on the outcome, and bookmakers around the world currently rank Raphael fifth to win, out of 37 competitors.

MAY 10, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Raphael is representing Israel this year at Basel in the Eurovision song contest

Yuval Raphael shines at her second Eurovision rehearsal

The grand final will air on May 17 at 22:00 on Kan 11, online, on digital platforms, and Kan BOX.

MAY 9, 2025ByHANNAH BROWN
Yuval Rafael at her second Eurovision rehearsal in Basel, May 9, 2025.