Olly Alexander, the U.K.'s contestant for this year's Eurovision competition, will not be dropping out of the event over Israel's participation. He was promptly slammed on social media following the update on Friday, March 29.
This came after LGBTQ+ activists demanded that he boycott the competition in an open letter. The note distributed by Queers for Palestine was signed by hundreds of musicians and media figures including Goat Girl, H Sinno and Chardine Taylor-Stone.
This came after an open letter from LGBTQ+ activists demanded that he join a boycott.
"By refusing to expel Israel from the competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is providing cultural cover and endorsement for the catastrophic violence that Israel has unleashed on Palestinians," the letter says.
"At a time when accountability is so urgently needed, Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision would enable and cover up its war crimes and crimes against humanity."
The note goes on to commend Alexander for the LGBTQ+ themes in his music.
"We share the vision of queer joy and abundance you’ve offered through your music, and share your belief in collective liberation for all," the activists said. "There can be no party with a state committing apartheid and genocide."
Alexander explained his decision in a letter posted to social media.
"I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel," he said.
"It is my current belief that removing myself from the contest wouldn't bring us any closer to our shared goal. Instead, I've been speaking with some of the other EV contestants and we've decided that by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace
"I'd like to thank the many signatories of this letter whose work I deeply admire and respect."
The note was poorly received by many commenters on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"You absolutely should have withdrawn instead of centering your feelings," one person said.
"Removing yourself would be the most talked about part of this year’s event. Surely you realise that?" a different commenter said. "It would overshadow everything and your reputation would skyrocket. Have integrity, you’ve got too much to lose."
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'Removing myself from the contest wouldn't bring us any closer to our shared goal,' the singer said in a statement on Friday, March 29.
The Queers for Palestine letter did not have anything to say about the more than 1,200 Israelis killed by Hamas during a surprise attack which ended an existing ceasefire last October. Since then, about 31,000 Palestinians have died.
The activists' letter also didn't speak about 250-plus Israelis who were kidnapped into Gaza. More than 100 of those people have not been returned.
Homosexual activity is illegal for men living in Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas since 2007.
Alexander was promptly slammed on social media.
Before he was confirmed as one of this year's Eurovision contestants, Alexander signed a different open letter calling Israel an "apartheid state" and accusing it of committing a "genocide" last December.
The Queers for Palestine campaign came shortly after a Eurovision watch party in London was called off due to Israel's participation in the competition.
Earlier this month, dozens of musicians boycotted SXSW due in part to the festival's ties to the U.S. Military and defense contractors.
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