Israel’s Yuval Raphael advances to the grand final of the 2025 Eurovision following her performance in Thursday night’s semifinal.While those in the arena said a smattering of boos could be heard during her performance,

The singer's appearance in this year's contest has sparked pushback from protesters over Israel's inclusion in the contest.

A total of 37 countries are taking part in Eurovision 2025 - all but one took part in last year's contest in Malmö, Sweden. Montenegro returns to the competition this year for the first time since 2022, replacing Moldova - which withdrew because of financial and logistical challenges.

During the ceremony, protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs reading "No applause for genocide" and "Singing while Gaza burns," a sign of frustration that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) allowed Israel to participate in the competition.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael is keeping a low profile at the Eurovision Song Contest. The 24-year-old singer has done few interviews or appearances during Eurovision week, as Israel’s participation in the pan-continental pop music competition draws protests for a second year.

‘During the dress rehearsal for the second semi-final of the ESC this afternoon, the performance of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was disrupted. ‘Six people, including a family, disrupted the rehearsal with oversized flags and whistles. Security personnel were able to quickly identify those involved and escort them out of the hall.’

Over 200 people protested in the host city of Basel on Wednesday (May 14), demanding an end to Israel's military offensive and the country's expulsion from Eurovision. History shows that bans aren't unprecedented. Belarus was suspended in 2021 for a politically charged song, followed by Russia's exclusion in 2022 amidst the Ukraine conflict.

With an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Eurovision Song Contest, Dahan is onsite to support Israel's contestant Yuval Raphael -- and report back to the Hebrew-language EuroMix fan site