Olly Alexander, the UK’s entrant for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, has rejected calls to withdraw from the competition in protest against Israel’s inclusion. Over 450 queer artists, individuals, and groups had urged him to boycott the event over the Gaza war, but Alexander expressed his wish for peace, saying he believes in the unifying power of music. He explained on social media that by participating, he and the other contestants could use their platform to call for peace. Alexander hopes for an end to the atrocities occurring in Gaza and has supported action being taken to demand a ceasefire there and the return of all hostages.
On the Friday prior to the Eurovision, Queers for Palestine posted an open letter on Instagram, asking Alexander not to perform his dance track, “Dizzy,” in Malmo, Sweden, amid the conflict in Gaza. Signatories included actors Indya Moore and Maxine Peake and novelist Sarah Schulman. Reacting to Alexander and the other contestants’ statements, the group urged the singers to reconsider, stating the most powerful use of Alexander’s voice at that moment would be to use it to announce his withdrawal from Eurovision.
However, Alexander was not speaking on behalf of the BBC, and he did not break the broadcaster’s social media guidelines. Eurovision organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, stated that they firmly believe the competition should always transcend politics, promote togetherness and bring audiences together worldwide. In response to Alexander’s statement, the Union expressed its belief in “the unifying power of music,” summed up in their slogan: “United By Music.”
The current conflict in Gaza began after the 7 October attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen crossed the border into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 250 others hostage. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry states that Israel’s retaliatory campaigns have killed at least 32,623 people. The International Court of Justice is evaluating whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel denies the allegations and says it takes measures to prevent civilian casualties
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More