Scooter Braun, Emmy Rossum and Helen Mirren are among 400 celebrities and industry executives who’ve signed an open letter supporting Israel’s inclusion in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Although there has been no suggestion the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the annual singing competition, has any intention of barring Israel from the event, the open letter has been published in response to a handful of fringe voices calling for a ban.
Other signatories to the letter include “The Big Bang Theory” star Mayim Bialik, KISS frontman Gene Simmons, “Once Upon a Time” actor Ginnifer Goodwin and “Ray Donovan” lead Liev Schreiber, among hundreds of others. Industry figures also include Saban CEO Haim Saban, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and WME partner David Levy.
Organized by industry body Creative Community For Peace, the letter states: “We believe that unifying events such as singing competitions are crucial to help bridge our cultural divides and unite people of all backgrounds through their shared love of music.”
“Those who are calling for Israel’s exclusion are subverting the spirit of the Contest and turning it from a celebration of unity into a tool of politics.”
Last year a group of Icelandic musicians demanded that Iceland boycott Eurovision if Israel took part. Israel is set to be represented by pop singer Eden Golan.
“Music is a place for unity not division,” Scooter Braun said in a statement. “It is a language that should always bring us together. Artists should never be discriminated against for who they are, who they love, or where they’re born. These boycott efforts do nothing but distract from the uplifting and unifying power of music – something we need now more than ever.”
Bialik added: “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.”
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in Malmo, Sweden in May, hosted by “Watchmen” star Malin Akerman.
The current war in Gaza began weeks after Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,400 civilians in Israel and kidnapped over 200 more. Over 130 hostages, the youngest aged 13 months, continue to be held in Gaza.
Read the full letter and list of signatories here.
