51 british celebrities and kulturpersonligheter has written a letter in which they ask the BBC to cancel the coverage of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and also ensure that it is held in a different country. This reports The Guardian.
the Former Pink Floyd-guitarist Roger Waters, designer Vivienne Westwood, musician Peter Gabriel and film director Mike Leigh are among those who have signed the letter, which is also published in The Guardian.
Did not get the desired fulfilled. Tel Aviv is the Eurovision-by
Eurovision tradition, held the competition in the country that won the year before. In the last year took the israeli Netta Barzilai victory in Lisbon with the song “Toy”, and this year’s competition is scheduled to go out of the stack in Tel Aviv 18. may of this year.
human rights abuses
israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wished at first that the competition was to be held in Jerusalem. Because of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the palestinians that require østdelen of the city as a future capital, plans moved to Tel Aviv.
– The european broadcasting union has selected Tel Aviv over occupied Jerusalem, but this does nothing to protect the palestinians against landtyverier, evictions, or from being shot or beaten by israeli sikkertshetsvakter, type brevforfatterne.
the Letter criticizes the israeli occupation of the palestinian territories.
– Eurovision is perhaps easy entertainment, but it is not exempt from menneskerettighetsvurderinger. We can not ignore Israel’s systematic violation of the palestinernes rights, it says in the letter.
the Authors of the letter believe the BBC is programforpliktet to fight for freedom of expression.
Dagbladet think: Boycott of Eurovision in Israel is a feilspor Leader
– They should adhere to these principles, and work for the competition to be moved to a country where systematic oppression does not take place, stand it on.
Confirms participation
the Letter comes shortly before the british public decide who will represent them in Tel Aviv.
8. February appears “Eurovision: You Decide” on BBC2. Through five episodes will british artists compete for space, and the winner will be determined by referendum.
– For any artist with a conscience, this will be a dubious honor. The artists, and the BBC, should take seriously the fact that the same freedom of choice is not the palestinians bestowed with. They can not vote to remove Israel’s military occupation.
the BBC confirmed in september that England is going to participate in Eurovision, and that they are going to cover the event in Israel.
According to Israel National News has 42 countries confirmed their participation in the contest, including Belgium, Czech republic, Denmark, France, Ireland, Spain and Germany.
In september of last year encouraged more than a hundred kulturpersonligheter from the whole of Europe, the european broadcasting union to “cancel Israel’s hosting and move the entire competition to a country that respects human rights,” in a letter.
Pig with Davidstjerne Israel’s ambassador rages against the TV-station after the Eurovision-parody: – Distasteful
Several of the brevforfatterne have criticized Israel in the past. Roger Waters has advocated for Israel-boycott in multiple years.
In 2013, got the Band, according to Rolling Stone widespread criticism after an inflatable pig with a picture of jewish symbol davidsstjernen was used during a concert in Belgium.
Israeli media criticized the Album, by rabbi Abraham Cooper at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in California called him a “an open jødehater”.
Waters defended herself in a post on Facebook.
I also use krusifikser, the islamic hilal symbol, the hammer and the scythe, and the logos of Shell and mcdonald’s, he writes.
Not everyone takes artists away from Israel. Nick Cave and Radiohead are among those who have been criticized for play in the country the last few years.
Cave call it the cultural boycott of Israel “cowardly and shameful”.
– I do not support the current government in Israel, but I also doesn’t accept that my decision to play in the country is a kind of statement of support for the government’s policies, ” he says in a statement quoted by The Guardian.
Here are this year’s “eurovision song”-participants
