Stephen Fry, Rachel Riley and Sharon Osbourne are among the stars who have signed a petition against the boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.
After Israeli entrant Netta won the 2018 contest with her song Toy, it was confirmed that the contest would be held this May in Tel Aviv.
However, Israel hosting has caused much controversy, due to the country’s occupation of Palestinian territories, with an open letter calling for a boycott of Eurovision signed by Roger Waters, Mike Leigh, Brian Eno, Ken Loach, Julie Christie and Wolf Alice.
Now, another open letter – this one opposing a boycott – has been released.
Creative Community For Peace, a non-profit organisation in the entertainment industry, have supported Eurovision, saying that a cultural boycott will not advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
A host of stars including Scooter Braun, Rory Cowan, Stephen Fry, Al Murray, Tracy Ann Oberman, Sharon Osbourne, Rachel Riley and Gene Simmons have signed a statement from the organisation.
The statement reads: ‘We, the undersigned, believe that music is our shared language, one that transcends boundaries and brings people together under a common bond.
‘We believe that unifying events, such as singing competitions, are crucial to help bridge our cultural divides and bring people of all backgrounds together through their shared love of music.
‘The annual Eurovision Song Contest embodies this unifying power. Every year, millions of people across Europe, and around the world, join together in a massive display of cultural exchange and celebration of music.
‘Unfortunately, this year, the spirit of togetherness is under attack by those calling to boycott Eurovision 2019 because it is being held in Israel, subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division.
‘We believe the cultural boycott movement is an affront to both Palestinians and Israelis who are working to advance peace through compromise, exchange, and mutual recognition. While we all may have differing opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the best path to peace, we all agree that a cultural boycott is not the answer. We call on all our friends and colleagues around the world to express their support for an exciting and successful Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv.’
CCFP’s director Ari Ingel said: ‘This year, approximately 200 million people will watch, visit and take part in the Eurovision song contest, celebrating music and the diversity of our different cultures.
‘The members of the entertainment industry who have signed this statement, along with the thousands of individuals who have endorsed its message, all believe in building bridges through music and the arts as a means to achieving greater understanding and peace in the region.’
The BBC have also supported Israel staging the contest, saying Eurovision embodies the ‘values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity’.
Reigning champion Netta said that boycotting the contest will ‘spread darkness’, while this year’s host Assi Azar told Metro.co.uk: ‘I don’t want to give any room to people that want to ban something that’s all about music. Leave the politics to the politicians. The only way to create peace and love is by communicating, through meeting and talking – not through banning. The people who want to celebrate hate, Eurovision is not the place for them.’
However, there is still a lot of backlash, with the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel asking Madonna to reconsider performing at the grand final.
The Eurovision Song Contest will take place on 14, 16 and 18 May in Tel Aviv.
Signatories of CCFP’s Eurovision statement
Marina Abramović: Performance Artist
Orly Adelson: President ,Orly Adelson Productions
Jason Adelman: Vice President, Strategy & Brand Development at Brand Innovators
Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios
Michael Adler: Partner, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman
Alberto (Miss Caffeina): Artist
Mitch Allen: Music Producer
Keren Ann – Artist
Alfredo Arense: Journalist, Radio 3
Baccara (Cristina y María): Artist
Gary Barber: Former chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment
Craig Balsam: Co-founder, ,Razor & Tie Entertainment
Richard Baskind: Partner & Head of Music Simons, Muirhead & Burton
Carlos Baute: Artist
Aton Ben-Horin: Global VP, A&R at Warner Music Group
Daniel Benmayor: Filmmaker
Steven Bensusan: President ,Blue Note Entertainment Group
Maya Binkin: The Art Pilgrim
Neil Blair: The Blair Partnership
Evan Bogart: Hit Songwriter, President Boardwalk Ent.
Joshua P. Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP.
Harvey Brown: Professor
Scooter Braun: Founder, Sb Projects
David Byrnes: Partner, Ziffren Brittenham ,LLP
Simon Calloway: Actor
Ellie Cannon: Doctor and Media Personality
Caroline Civia: President of Clic Entertainment
Isabel Coixet: Filmmaker
Conchita (María Concepción Mendívil): Artist
Deborah Conway: Artist
Jim Cooperman: Senior VP Legal & Business Affairs, The Madison Square Garden Company
Rob Cowan: Point Blank
Rory Cowan: Actor
Josh Deutsch: Chairman/CEO ,Downtown Records
David Draiman: Musician and front man of Disturbed
Craig Emanuel: Partner, Entertainment & Media, Paul Hastings
Ron Fair: Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
Erica Forster: VP of Music Partnerships, DanceOn
Gary Foster: Principal, Krasnoff Foster Productions
Daryl Friedman: Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer, The Recording Academy/ GRAMMYs
Stephen Fry: Actor, Comedian
Saul Galpern: President, Nude Music Group
Andrew Genger: Red Light Management
Gary Gersh: President, Global Talent, A.E.G. Presents
Gary Ginsberg: Executive VP of Corporate Marketing & Communications, Time Warner Inc.
Daniel Glass: President & Founder, Glassnote Entertainment Group
David Glick: Founder & CEO, Edge Group
Andrew Gould: President of A&R, Downtown Music Publishing
Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK Management
Matt Greenberg: Ritholz Levy Fields LLP
Steve Greenberg: President, S-Curve Records
Sarah Halioua, Producer, Visionnaire Films
Ronnie Harris: Harris & Trotter LLP
Scott Hoffman: Artist (Scissor Sisters), Songwriter and Producer
Neil Jacobson: President, Geffen Records
Zach Katz: Former President of A&R BMG, CEO Raised In Space
Larry Katz: Esq., Lawrence H. Katz, P.C
Allison Kaye: President of SB Projects
Adam Kenwright: Executive Vice President at Ambassador Theatre Group
Ilan Kidron: Artist (Potbelleez)
Amanda Kogan: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME)
Rick Krim: Former Co-President, Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Rosa Lagarrigue: CEO, RLM
Mollie Lehman: A&R at Atlantic Records
Colin Lester: CEO, JEM Artists
David Levy: Partner & Co-Head, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Lior: Artist
David Lonner: CEO, Oasis Media Group
Javier López: Artist
Iona de Macedo: Entertainment industry
Ben Maddahi: President of Unrestricted
Imran Majid: EVP/Co-Head of A&R, Columbia Records
Orly Marley
David Mazouz: Actor
Betty Missiego: Artist
Al Murray: Comedian
Mónica Naranjo, Artist
Caroline Norbury: CEO – Creative England
Tracy Ann Oberman: Actress
Antonio Martos Ortiz: Artist
Sharon Osbourne: Manager, Businesswoman, Television Star
Scott Packman, Esq.
Jose Ramón Pardo: Journalist, RNE
Donald S. Passman: Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, & Brown, Inc.
Lucía Pérez: Producer, Maestranza Films
Antonio Pérez: Maestranza Films
Stephen Pollard: Author and Journalist
Dean Raise: C3 Presents
David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group
Rachel Riley: Actress, TV Presenter
Lindy Robbins: Multi-platinum Songwriter
Jaimison M. Roberts: Attorney at Law
Dan Rosen: CEO, Australian Recording Industry Association
Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President, Lyric Culture
Rick Rosen: Co-Founder & Head of Television, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Haim Saban: Businessman, Philanthropist and Producer
Marta Sánchez: Artist
Rafa Sánchez: Artist
Paul Schindler: Senior Chair of the New York Entertainment & Media Practice, Greenberg Traurig LLC
Steve Schnur: Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts
Sam Schwartz: Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
Jonathan Shalit OBE: Chairman – InterTalent Rights Group
Ben Silverman: Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content
Gene Simmons: Band member of KISS
Ralph Simon: Chairman & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited
David Simone: President – DSW Entertainment
Soraya: Artist
Jeff Sosnow: SVP of A&R at Warner Music Group
Jose Ortega Soto (Manzanita): Artist
Gary Stiffelman: Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
Aaron Symonds: Film Composer
Traci Szymanski: President of Co-Star Entertainment/Israelife Media Group
Sharon Tal Yguado: Head of Event Series at Amazon
Adam Taylor: President, APM Music
Joyce Trabulus: Manager
Mario Vaquerizo: Artist and TV & Radio Collaborator
José Sainz de Vicuña: President, Impala films
Peter Wade: Producer and President of WonderSound
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