This 12 months’s UK Eurovision entry has rejected requires him to boycott this 12 months’s Song Contest in protest at Israel being included within the competitors.
Pop star Olly Alexander responded Friday to an open letter from Queers for Palestine, signed by greater than 450 artists urging him to boycott the occasion happening in Sweden in May.
Alexander mentioned in a prolonged publish on X (previously Twitter) why he thought it was proper for him and different artists to stay within the Contest:
“As a participant I’ve taken a lot of time to deliberate over what to do and the options available to me. It is my current belief that removing myself from the contest wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.”
He added that he had mentioned the dilemma with entries from different nations, they usually had come to the identical conclusion.
Alexander added that he supported all actions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the return of Israeli hostages and a journey in the direction of peace:
“I hope and pray that our calls are answered and there is an end to the atrocities we are seeing taking place in Gaza.”
Earlier within the day, Queers for Palestine’s open letter had urged Alexander to stop the Contest, saying:
“We share the vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all. In this spirit, we ask you to heed the Palestinian call to withdraw from Eurovision.”
“The most powerful use of Olly’s voice at this moment would be to use it to announce his withdrawal from Eurovision.”
Despite the Eurovision Song Contest’s insistence on entries remaining apolitical, this 12 months’s occasion has been shrouded in controversy. Israel’s entry, initially titled October Rain, was deemed too political with its reference to the Hamas assault in October 2023. The nation has now amended its track and retitled it Hurricane.
“We firmly believe that the Eurovision Song Contest is a platform that should always transcend politics, promote togetherness and bring audiences together across the world.”