Global Justice Center · Client Story

Yuval: Finding Her Voice After October 7

Only 11 of the 39 people in her shelter lived to speak of it. Yuval chose to speak.

Yuval Raphael with the JIJ team at the United Nations in Geneva

Meet Yuval

Yuval was 23 when she attended the Nova Music Festival: a joyful weekend shattered by rockets and terror. Fleeing the massacre, she and her friends took refuge in a roadside bomb shelter. For eight unimaginable hours, terrorists repeatedly attacked the shelter with gunfire and grenades. Following her father’s phone instructions to play dead, Yuval survived because she was trapped beneath fallen victims. Only 11 of the 39 people in that shelter lived to speak of it.

The programSurvivors Seeking JusticeSworn testimony for the ICC and the UN Human Rights Council.Learn more →

Survivor Testimony at the UN

Yuval at the UN Human Rights Council

Four months later, Yuval sat with JIJ’s legal team and finally put her trauma into words. Today, she advocates for Israel globally, even representing Israel at Eurovision in 2025, winning the worldwide popular vote in a song contest that attracts 1 billion viewers.

“Speaking out is how I fight back.”

– Yuval

Survivors Seeking Justice

How You Demand Justice

Yuval is one of thousands. Since October 7, JIJ’s Survivors Seeking Justice project has gathered sworn testimony from survivors to present as undeniable evidence before the International Criminal Court and UN Human Rights Council.

But we cannot secure accountability without you. Your donation transforms survivor trauma into durable legal evidence.

  • Gather sworn survivor testimony.
  • Advocate before the ICC and United Nations.
  • Pursue financial restitution.
Donate to Support October 7 Survivors
Photo coming soon: Yuval with the JIJ team at the American Ambassador’s home

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