MUSICIAN Peter Gabriel, actress Julie Christie and director Mike Leigh are among the signatories to a letter urging the BBC to press for Eurovision to be relocated from Israel.
The open letter, published in the Guardian, called on the BBC to act over the host’s ‘systematic violation of Palestinian human rights’.
However the broadcaster has responded by saying it plans to participate in the event.
Israel won the right to host the competition following victory in last year’s event, with the final scheduled for May 18 in Tel Aviv.
'Dubious honour'
The letter described winning the upcoming BBC competition to select a Eurovision entry, You Decide, as ‘a dubious honour’ for any artist.
“They and the BBC should consider that ‘You Decide’ is not a principle extended to the Palestinians, who cannot decide to remove Israel’s military occupation and live free of apartheid,” they wrote.
Singer Netta Barzilai won Eurovision for Israel last year (Image: Getty)“Even Palestinians with Israeli citizenship were told in the nation-state law passed last year that only Jews have the ‘right to national self-determination'.
“When discrimination and exclusion are so deeply embedded, Eurovision 2019’s claim to celebrate diversity and inclusion must ring hollow.”
The letter adds: “The BBC is bound by its charter to ‘champion freedom of expression’. It should act on its principles and press for Eurovision to be relocated to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed.”
'Not appropriate'
Responding to the letter, which is also signed by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, director Ken Loach and 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice, the BBC said it must remain impartial.
“The competition has always supported the values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance and diversity and we do not believe it would be appropriate to use the BBC's participation for political reasons,” said a spokesperson.
"Because of this we will be taking part in this year's event. The host country is determined by the rules of the competition, not the BBC.”
Last year, celebrities and public figures in Ireland called on the country to boycott the Eurovision 2019.
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