BBC rejects calls for Israel Eurovision boycott
The broadcaster has dismissed calls to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Israel this year.
The BBC has shot down calls to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Israel this year, saying the competition “is not a political event and does not endorse any political message or campaign”.
Mike Leigh and Miriam Margolyes were among the 51 high profile figures urging the BBC to call for Eurovision 2019 to be moved from Israel in a signed letter in the Guardian.
The letter published yesterday criticises the Jewish state over occupied Palestinian territories, citing “land theft, evictions, shootings, beatings and more by Israel’s security forces.”
It says: “Eurovision may be light entertainment, but it is not exempt from human rights considerations and we cannot ignore Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian human rights.”
But a BBC spokesperson hit back, saying: “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.
“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.”
Other signatories of the letter include Vivienne Westwood, Ken Loach, Peter Gabriel, Alexei Sayle and Julie Christie.
Tel Aviv is scheduled to host the contest on May 18, after Israel secured a victory last year with pop singer Netta Barzilai’s track ‘Toy’.
The letter comes as the UK prepares to vote on a song in the BBC2 song selection show ‘Eurovision: You Decide’ to be aired on February 8.
It follows another in September 2018 published by the Guardian calling for the boycott, which was signed by over 140 cultural figures, including Ken Loach, Roger Waters, Brian Eno and Mike Leigh.
The letter’s authors say: “The show it says will ‘deliver the UK the artist it deserves to fly the flag out in Tel Aviv in May’.
“For any artist of conscience, this would be a dubious honour. 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.
“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”.
The British pop band The Tuts claimed in a tweet last week they turned down an opportunity to represent the UK in the competition due to its location, but BBC Eurovision declined to comment.
A Board of Deputies spokesperson said: “This tired old group of anti-Israel activists are at it again – this time claiming that the world’s only Jewish state and the only liberal democracy in the Middle East is (uniquely among Eurovision contestants) unfit to hold this year’s contest.
“Perhaps they also protested when Russia, Serbia and Turkey hosted Eurovision in recent years but if so, we are unable to find these letters.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
