Israel’s Yuval Raphael defied expectations to come in second in the annual Eurovision song contest on Saturday, narrowly losing out to Austria after being buoyed by the popular vote but also drawing points from the juries in 14 countries. “Thank you, Europe! Am Yisrael chai!” Raphael shouted from the stage after her performance.

Israel’s Yuval Raphael finished in second place overall at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, and first in the public vote, as Austria’s JJ took the overall win at the annual competition.

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came in second place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday night, after being pipped at the post by Austrian singer JJ. Although Raphael convincingly won the popular vote among audiences across Europe,