Rachel Riley, Sharon Osbourne and Stephen Fry are among more than 100 names urging support for the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.
The annual competition will be held in Tel Aviv next month after Israeli entrant Netta won last year’s contest with TOY in Lisbon.
In the months leading up to the contest, groups called for the BBC to press the European Broadcasting Union to move the production from the Israeli state, to “a country where crimes against freedom are not being committed”. The BBC responded with a statement saying it was "not appropriate to use the BBC’s participation for political reasons".
Today, Countdown genius Riley, comedian Fry and former X Factor judge Osbourne joined Kiss rocker Gene Simmons and actress Tracy Ann Oberman as signatories on a statement calling for people to support the 64th instalment of the contest.
The statement, released by non-profit organisation Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), claims that calls for boycotts are “subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division.
It 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.”
It continues by stating that the “spirit of togetherness is under attack” by calls for a boycott on the basis of the contest’s geographical location.
“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,” it continues.
“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.”
Earlier this year, the CCFP started a petition with the same statement which has over 15,000 signatures at the time of writing.
The 64th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel from May 14 to May 18. The UK will be represented by Michael Rice in the final, broadcast on BBC One.
