Sharon Osbourne, Gene Simmons and Boy George are among the famous faces who have signed an open letter, urging organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest to allow Israel to compete in 2024.
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Despite not being a part of the continent, Israel made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 as the first non-European country granted permission to participate in the event. However, there have been widespread calls for the country to be banned from taking part in the contest this year given the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Last month, an open letter was issued to the European Broadcast, signed by over 1,000 Swedish artists including Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit – calling for Israel to be withdrawn from competing at the finale in Malmö, Sweden on May 11.
“The fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcomed to participate in international cultural events trivialises violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible,” it read. “Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition but the entire public service mission. It also sends the signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences.”
Now, the push to have Israel removed from the competition has faced backlash, and famous faces including Sharon Osbourne and KISS’ Gene Simmons have signed a separate open letter, rejecting the ban.
Published by the nonprofit organisation ‘Creative Community for Peace’, the letter reads in part: “We have been shocked and disappointed to see some members of the entertainment community calling for Israel to be banished from the Contest for responding to the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Under the cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately into civilian populations, Hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women, and children.”
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It also contains sections penned by some of the signees. Simmons’ section read: “Music unites people from all backgrounds. It’s the one language that everyone can understand. It’s a beautiful thing and a great way to bring people together. Those advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don’t move the needle towards peace, but only further divide the world.”
Similarly, Mayim Bialik – star of The Big Bang Theory – wrote: “After a horrendous violent attack on Israeli civilians, calls for boycotts and excluding Israeli artists from international events simply because they are Israeli is abhorrent and shameful. Targeting Israeli musicians in this way tarnishes the unifying spirit that is Eurovision.”
Others who have signed the letter include Boy George, Helen Mirren, Debra Messing, Scooter Braun, Diane Warren and Selma Blair. The latter recently issued an apology to fans, after she shared an Islamaphobic comment on a social media post made by immigration reform advocate, Abraham Hamra, concerning the attack on Israeli music festival, Supernova, on October 7 2023.
As for Sharon Osbourne, the participation in the open letter supporting Israel comes after she took aim at Kanye West over the weekend – telling the rapper that he “fucked with the wrong Jew this time” after he used a Black Sabbath sample without the band’s permission on his new album with Ty Dolla $ign, ‘Vultures’. She also went on to brand West as a “disrespectful anti-Semite” who “represents hate”.
At time of writing, Israel is still set to compete in the 2024 edition of Eurovision, and named 20-year-old singer Eden Golan as the artist who will represent the country last week.
The inclusion is, in part, because the European Broadcasting Union have referred to itself as “an apolitical member organisation” that is “committed to upholding the values of public service”. That being said, they did ban Russia from competing in 2022 and Belarus the year prior.
The push to have Israel banned from the contest has come beyond the open letter from Swedish artists too.
Before that campaign, more than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals also signed a petition urging for Israel to be not allowed to compete. Similarly, the song contest drew criticism and threats of boycott after announcing that the country would be taking part as usual.
Around this time, Olly Alexander – who will represent the UK this year – signed a pro-Palestine letter which called Israel an “apartheid state” and accused it of genocide. The letter from LGBTQ+ activist group Voices4London was signed by the singer before he was confirmed as the UK’s Eurovision entrant, and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to allow aid into the area.
According to a recent report by ABC News, over 28,000 people have been killed in Palestine and a quarter of Gaza’s residents are starving since Hamas’ assault into Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 dead and around 250 abducted.