Multiple thousand main leisure trade figures have signed an open letter by the non-profit group Artistic Group for Peace (CCFP) to assist Israel’s continued inclusion within the Eurovision Tune Contest.
Israel has taken half in Eurovision since 1973 and has gained 4 occasions, however up to now 12 months, following Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael’s second-place end in 2025, requires Israel’s exclusion have been rising louder.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) declined to place the query of excluding Israel to a vote in its assembly in December, and 5 international locations – Iceland, Eire, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain – introduced that they have been withdrawing from the 2026 Eurovision contest in Vienna in 2026 in response to the truth that Israel will participate as regular.
Some international locations alleged that Israel broke the principles in 2025 that led to Raphael profitable the viewers vote. The EBU investigated and located no wrongdoing, however instituted rule adjustments in response to criticism of Israel from a few of the taking part international locations.
The preliminary letter by the CCFP was issued in response to the campaigns calling on the EBU to exclude Israel from the occasion and urging taking part international locations and artists to withdraw if Israel takes half.
Leisure govt Scooter Braun mentioned, as EBU weighed whether or not to vote on the problem, “Music is a spot for unity, not division. It’s a language that ought to at all times deliver us collectively. Artists ought to by no means be discriminated in opposition to for who they’re, who they love, or the place they’re born. These boycott efforts do nothing however distract from the uplifting and unifying energy of music – one thing we’d like now greater than ever.”
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Gene Simmons from the band KISS mentioned, “Music unites folks from all backgrounds. It’s the one language that everybody can perceive. It’s a lovely factor and a good way to deliver folks collectively. These advocating to exclude an Israeli singer from Eurovision don’t transfer the needle in the direction of peace, however solely additional divide the world.”
Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, greatest recognized for taking part in Amy in The Massive Bang Principle, mentioned, “After a horrendous, violent assault on Israeli civilians, requires boycotts and excluding Israeli artists from worldwide occasions just because they’re Israeli are abhorrent and shameful. Focusing on Israeli musicians on this means tarnishes the unifying spirit that’s Eurovision.”
Tons of extra leisure trade leaders have now added their names to the letter, together with actors Helen Mirren, Amy Schumer, Liev Schreiber, Mila Kunis, Selma Blair, Julianna Margulies, Ginnifer Goodwin, Debra Messing, Patricia Heaton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Piven, Tom Arnold, Rebecca De Mornay, Joshua Malina, and Brett Gelman.
The musicians among the many signatories embrace Boy George, Matisyahu, David Draiman, James Maslow, Diane Warren, Jon Ondrasik, Laurent Amir Haddad (France’s consultant to Eurovision in 2016), and Noa Kirel, who represented Israel at Eurovision in 2023.
Matthew Weiner, the creator of the sequence, Mad Males, who took half within the Jerusalem Periods International Tv Trade Summit in 2025 signed the letter, as did many producers, administrators, brokers, managers, and leisure executives, together with Haim Saban, Julie Greenwald, Jody Gerson Sharon Osbourne, Tom, Sherry Lansing, Rick Rosen, Ben Silverman David Lonner, Bob Ezrin, Dan Rosen, Gary Barber, Colin Lester OBE, David Zedeck, Troy Carter, Bruce Resnikoff, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Patty Jenkins.
“Now we have been shocked and disillusioned to see some members of the leisure group calling for Israel to be banished from the competition for responding to the best bloodbath of Jews for the reason that Holocaust,” the letter reads partly. “We imagine that unifying occasions equivalent to singing competitions are essential to assist bridge our cultural divides and unite folks of all backgrounds by way of their shared love of music.”
Eurovision was established after World Struggle II as a peaceable discussion board for worldwide competitors. Along with Israel, numerous international locations outdoors of Europe participate, together with Australia. The annual occasion, which attracts extra viewers than the Tremendous Bowl, is understood for enjoyable and flash, and has a historical past of being particularly welcoming to performers from the LGBTQ+ group. Dana Worldwide, the Israeli singer who gained in 1998, was the primary brazenly transgender contestant.
CCFP’s chairman, David Renzer, and govt director, Ari Ingel, mentioned: “Throughout the leisure trade, we’re witnessing an alarming rise in shameful efforts to ostracize Israelis and people who assist Israel, actions that do nothing to advance peace or understanding.
These misguided boycott campaigns serve solely to deepen divisions and gas hostility. We stand firmly with trade leaders in rejecting this discrimination in all its kinds. Eurovision and different world cultural occasions needs to be areas of unity, creativity, and shared celebration, and never arenas for exclusionary politics.
This open letter sends a robust and unequivocal message: a broad coalition inside the leisure group proudly helps the Eurovision Tune Contest and each one among this 12 months’s outstanding members, together with Israel.”
Noam Bettan will characterize Israel this 12 months on the tune contest with an up-tempo tune, “Michelle,” in Hebrew, French, and English. Viewers from world wide can now vote within the occasion, in addition to audiences from the taking part international locations.
Based by leisure trade executives, CCFP is a non-profit leisure trade group composed of distinguished members of the leisure group who’ve come collectively to construct bridges by way of the humanities, to teach and counter rising antisemitism within the leisure trade, and to provoke assist in opposition to the cultural boycott of Israel.
It’s dedicated to remaining apolitical and doesn’t stand for any authorities official or social gathering. Extra data, together with the complete textual content of the letter, is out there on the CCFP web site right here.
