RSS
Five Reasons Israel’s Eurovision Song Was One of the Best
Yuval Raphael from Israel with the title “New Day Will Rise” on stage at the second semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in the Arena St. Jakobshalle. Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa via Reuters Connect
Yuval Raphael’s majestic performance of the song “New Day Will Rise” earned Israel second place in the famed Eurovision competition that took place over the weekend in Switzerland. Here are the five reasons why the song placed so high:
1. Raphael’s voice: Raphael was vocally flawless, beginning the song in a soft tone, and building gradually until belting out the chorus with some raspiness thrown in and perfectly navigated trills.
2. Versatility: Raphael performed the song beginning in English, going to a bit of French, and throwing in some of her native Hebrew, and sounded authentic and on point in all languages.
3. Well-Constructed Song: The lyrics were powerful beginning with “And even if you say goodbye, you’ll never go away/ you are the rainbows in my sky my colors in the grey …”
In contrast to the melancholy verse, the chorus is uplifting: “New day will rise life will go on/Everyone cries, don’t cry alone/Darkness will fade all the pain will go by/But we will stay even if you say goodbye.”
While it is understood the lyrics refer to the attack of October 7, there is no specific reference to it and the song has universal appeal to resonate with people upset about any conflict or any loss.
4. Performed With Great Poise Despite Hate From Antisemites: Even if one doesn’t like Israel, to boo or have jeers against Raphael, who survived the attack at the Nova Festival on October 7, shows someone has no class.
CNN outdid itself, managing to show anti-Israel bias in a music article, as its writer Rob Picheta wrote that Israel was the 20th best song (despite placing second). He called Hamas a “militant” group rather than a terrorist group. Rather than give the song an iota of credit, he wrote that the song is weaker than last year’s by Eden Golan. I disagree. But the point is in his “analysis” of 26 songs by respective countries, only did Israel get such a critique that it was musically worse than the previous year. Raphael was unfazed by the haters — she carried on amazingly despite the pressure and the harassment, and it’s a credit to what Raphael is made of.
5. Emotional Impact: A majority of the Eurovision songs were dance tracks that were instantly forgettable. Besides having a powerful voice, Raphael’s delivery made the audience feel an emotional connection. The song is easily relatable, and Raphael’s vocals made me cry. A quick look at YouTubers evaluating her song showed people from different countries all agreeing on the song’s emotional resonance and power.
Should Israel have won Eurovision? Obviously, I think so — but I also would have been surprised if there was a fair result. Austria took first place with “Wasted Love” by JJ More, which I didn’t like. The song that came in third, “Espresso Macchiato,” would have been well suited for “Saturday Night live” but not any real music competition. Ukraine’s “Bird of Pray” by Ziferblat deserved much higher than ninth place.
It was great to see Israel once again stand out for artistry, creativity, and musical excellence, and while it should have taken the top spot, second place in such a competition is extremely impressive.
The author is a writer based in New York.
The post Five Reasons Israel’s Eurovision Song Was One of the Best first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Trump’s Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect Early Monday
US President Donald Trump attends the Saudi-US Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
US President Donald Trump’s order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States goes into effect at 12:01 am ET (0401 GMT) on Monday, a move the president promulgated to protect the country from “foreign terrorists.”
The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – will be partially restricted.
Trump, a Republican, said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers’ identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.
He cited last Sunday’s incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed. But Egypt is not part of the travel ban.
The travel ban forms part of Trump’s policy to restrict immigration into the United States and is reminiscent of a similar move in his first term when he barred travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Officials and residents in countries whose citizens will soon be banned expressed dismay and disbelief.
Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to US citizens in response to Trump’s action.
“Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride,” he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury airplane for Trump’s use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S.
Afghans who worked for the US or US-funded projects and were hoping to resettle in the US expressed fear that the travel ban would force them to return to their country, where they could face reprisal from the Taliban.
Democratic US lawmakers also voiced concern about the policies.
“Trump’s travel ban on citizens from over 12 countries is draconian and unconstitutional,” said US Representative Ro Khanna on social media late on Thursday. “People have a right to seek asylum.”
The post Trump’s Travel Ban on 12 Countries Goes Into Effect Early Monday first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israeli Military Says It Struck Hamas Member in Southern Syria
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
The Israeli military said on Sunday that it struck a member of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in southern Syria’s Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first airstrikes in the country in nearly a month.
Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike.
Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel for the first time under the country’s new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa accountable.
Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party.
A little known group named “Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades,” an apparent reference to Hamas’ military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim.
The post Israeli Military Says It Struck Hamas Member in Southern Syria first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
Israel Orders Military to Stop Gaza-Bound Yacht Carrying Greta Thunberg
FILE PHOTO: Activist Greta Thunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, in this picture released on June 2, 2025 on social media. Photo: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/via REUTERS/File Photo
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told the military on Sunday to stop a charity boat carrying activists including Sweden’s Greta Thunberg who are planning to defy an Israeli blockade and reach Gaza.
Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 and is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel.
“I instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen .. does not reach Gaza,” Katz said in a statement.
“To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends, I say clearly: You’d better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza.”
Climate activist Thunberg said she joined the Madleen crew to “challenge Israel’s illegal siege and escalating war crimes” in Gaza and highlight the urgent need for humanitarian aid. She has rejected previous Israeli accusations of antisemitism.
Israel went to war with Hamas in October 2023 after the Islamist terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing more 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to the enclave.
Katz said the blockade was essential to Israel’s national security as it seeks to eliminate Hamas.
“The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas,” he said.
The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the FFC has said.
FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said on Sunday the boat was currently some 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza. “We are preparing for the possibility of interception,” she said.
Besides Thunberg, there are 11 other crew members aboard, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.
Israeli media have reported that the military plans to intercept the yacht before it reaches Gaza and escort it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The crew would then be deported.
In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, that was leading a small flotilla towards Gaza.
The post Israel Orders Military to Stop Gaza-Bound Yacht Carrying Greta Thunberg first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login