Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today (Wednesday) with Israel’s representative at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, Yuval Raphael, and congratulated her on her impressive second-place finish.
Netanyahu began the conversation with warm words: “Hello Yuval, you sound wonderful—and you sounded wonderful there. You brought so much honor and pride to our country. After everything you’ve been through—hiding to save for your life—and now, here you are representing the lives of all of us.”
Later in the conversation, the Prime Minister referred to the moment Raphael stood on stage and declared “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The People of Israel Live”): “That moment moved all our hearts. Well done—you’re amazing. What you did raised Israel’s standing among the nations.”
Raphael, clearly emotional, responded: “Thank you so much. All I wanted was to bring pride to this country. Just to give people one moment of comfort amidst all this insane chaos. What matters most to me is that the hostages come home—to be here with us, to celebrate with us, and to heal.”
“You’re the real winner there”
Netanyahu continued: “You’re the real winner. Statistically—it’s just a fact. You touched the hearts of a huge audience across Europe. What you did matters in every way. I’m telling you—people will remember this for many years to come, even beyond your lifetime. That’s no small thing. To do something like this at 24—it’s extraordinary.”
At the close of the conversation, he told her: “We’re working very hard on it”—referring to efforts to bring the hostages home—“and you’ve added a lot of strength.”
Watch the conversation [Hebrew]:
