Ten countries, including Israel, join the Eurovision finale lineup

 

Ten new countries qualified for the Eurovision final on Thursday, including Israel and contestant Yuval Rafael, after their representatives delivered a strong performance in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in front of millions of viewers.

The results were logical, according to observers, and the favorites for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest will meet in the final in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday to compete for first place in the world's largest television talent competition and attract tens of millions of viewers who will choose the winner.

Austria's representative in the contest, countertenor JJ, wowed the 6,500-strong crowd at Basel's St. Jakobshalle. He confirmed his position as the favorite to win against Sweden's K-Team, who qualified from the first semi-final on Tuesday.

A total of 26 contestants will compete in the final on Saturday.

Despite some concerns after an accident during rehearsals, Israeli singer Yuval Rafael, a survivor of the October 7 attacks, made it to the final.

The 24-year-old singer performed "New Day Will Rise." The young woman, who survived by pretending to die under a pile of corpses during the deadly Hamas attack, said that through her performance, she wanted to send a global message of "hope and solidarity."

"As soon as I got on stage, I saw some friends in the audience, and a deep silence fell over me," Rafael said after the performance. "I told myself, 'Enjoy it. You're living one of the most wonderful experiences in life; enjoy the moment.' And that's what I did."

Israel's participation sparked criticism and protests, but it did not mobilize large crowds of protesters in the streets of Basel, despite the intensification of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands. This is in contrast to the large demonstrations sparked by Israel's participation in last year's edition of the competition in the Swedish city of Malmö.

At the conclusion of the second semi-final on Thursday, Lithuania, Armenia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta, and Greece also qualified, while Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Serbia failed to reach the final stage.