Singer Yuval Raphael returned home to an emotional hero’s welcome in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening after taking second place in the Eurovision song competition in Switzerland.
Raphael, 24-year-old a survivor of Hamas’ massacre at the Nova Music Festival, finished the competition in second place for her song, “A New Day Will Rise.” She earned the highest public vote with 297 points but placed 14th with the jury, securing Israel second overall.
“Yuval is uniting all of Nova. She gives them a home, a voice, a place to rest,” Sofia Shterenzon, one of Raphael’s closest friends since middle school told The Press Service of Israel.
“I couldn’t sleep all night. It’s insane. She did the unthinkable,” Shterenzon added. “My heart rate would just keep rising every time she performed. But honestly, I had no doubt she’d succeed. She’s not someone who gets scared. She’s just in her element up there.”