Protocols obtained by Ynet under a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that committee members described the song as "a bit monotonous," "chanson-like, very Eurovision" and "one of the best we heard but not enough."
Yuval Raphael's performance that won her the Eurovision contendership
(Video: via Keshet)
The documents also detail last year’s selection process, which ended in unexpected drama. In the final round, the committee was deadlocked between two songs. "The committee is struggling to choose between them," the protocol read.
To break the tie, an unprecedented third selection round was introduced, requiring both finalists to undergo production before a final decision. Unlike earlier rounds, the songwriters’ identities were disclosed to the committee.
A later entry in the documents explains why the additional round was never publicly announced: "Since this amendment applies only to the two finalists and given the timeline, the committee sees no reason to publicly disclose the change, except to notify the songwriters under strict confidentiality."
The 2025 protocols also reveal criticism of other competing songs, though their titles and creators were redacted. Some were dismissed as "a good radio chorus, bad for the competition" or "simplistic."
Others were labeled "festival material," "musical-like," "dated," "started strong but fell apart," "generic," "bad lyrics," "library music" and "full of clichés." One was even bluntly judged: "We won’t make it to the semifinals with this song."
The committee included public broadcaster Kan’s music director Barak Itzkowitz, editors Tal Argaman and Maya Drukman, Kan representatives Sharon Driks and Tali Katz, as well as Tamira Yardeni and Yoav Tzafir of reality show The Next Star for Eurovision, the country’s long-running selection process for the contest. Their names were redacted in sections quoting their song critiques.
Two days later, Raphael joined the committee’s second round of discussions after recording studio versions of the songs. Her feedback on the two songs that were not chosen was redacted, but her remarks on New Day Will Rise remained.
"I cried when I heard it. It feels like a song that can break hearts. You can’t stay indifferent to it. It’s not self-pitying — it says no matter what happens, we’ll come out stronger."
Raphael added that she avoided listening to early demos to ensure a fresh perspective: "From the first time I heard it, it just clicked. If I didn’t feel a personal connection or that gut punch from a song, I struggled to sing it. This song gives me that gut punch."
After Raphael left, her opinion carried significant weight. "Yuval’s reasoning is very intelligent — she knows what works for her and doesn’t get confused," one member said. Another agreed: "This song fits Yuval like a glove." In the final vote, all seven committee members ranked New Day Will Rise as their top choice.
