Gene Simmons, Sharon Osbourne, and Boy George are among the celebrities who have signed an open letter rejecting a movement to prevent Israel from competing in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.
The annual Eurovision song contest welcomes different nations to compete, and includes countries outside of Europe, including Israel and Australia, among others. There have been calls from artists from countries such as Sweden and Finland demanding Israel’s exclusion from the contest due to the latter’s current military action in Gaza.
Last month, a letter was issued on behalf of more than 1,000 Swedish artists — signed by music acts like Robyn, First Aid Kit, and Fever Ray — reading in part, “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. Therefore, we appeal to the EBU: Exclude Israel from the Eurovision song contest 2024.”
In response, the nonprofit organization “Creative Community for Peace” has penned its own letter that includes signatures from Simmons, Osbourne, and Boy George, along with Helen Mirren, Emmy Rossum, Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, Diane Warren, Liev Schreiber, Scooter Braun, and Selma Blair, among many others.
A press release includes individual statements, including one from KISS’ Simmons that reads, “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.”
Bialik writes, “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.”
The general open letter adds, “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.”
As of now, the European Broadcasting Union is committed to including Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place May 7th, 8th, and 11th at the Malmö Arena in Sweden this year. Israel is sending 20-year-old singer Eden Golan to compete in the contest.