Eurovision Song Contest

Valerie, a ninth-generation native of Jaffa and polyglot who speaks five languages, began her education at a French Christian school in Jaffa before transferring to a public school in Tel Aviv.

Golan’s version of the song is a tough act to follow, but Hamati and Weiss, on a night in which the competitors were paired off to perform duets, proved that they were up to the task.

During the council meeting, more severe measures against Israel were debated but ultimately rejected, including a proposal to blackout the broadcast during Israel's performance.

A bill proposal is being pushed by Communications Minister MK Shlomo Karhi to privatize Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation.

The Next Star delivers moving performances, including survivors of October 7, in Eurovision 2025 race.

The two Swiss cities were the final candidates chosen according to criteria that included transport connections, hotel capacity and security.

"At the moment, I thought it was funny but didn’t realize how scary and dangerous it really was," the singer said.

"I wanted to sing "October Rain" tonight. This is my prayer to bring everyone back home. I will not stop making our voice heard in Israel and worldwide until everyone returns home," Golan said. 

If Israel is not able to defend itself – hitting back at its enemies – nobody will be safe. “Ironclad support” is meaningless if it translates as a steely grip preventing Israel from taking action. 

At the end, the entire cast appeared in T-shirts bearing the names of kibbutzim and communities that have been abandoned since October 7.