Scooter Braun, Emmy Rossum and Helen Mirren are among the 400 celebrities and industry executives.
The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the annual song contest, has issued an open letter in response to a handful of fringe voices calling for a ban, although it has no intention of banning Israel from the event.
Others who signed the letter included „The Big Bang Theory” star Mayim Bialik, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons, „Once Upon a Time” actor Ginnifer Goodwin and „Ray Donovan” frontman Liev Schreiber among the hundreds. Industry figures included Saban CEO Haim Saban, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and WME partner David Levy.
Organized by industry body Creative Community for Peace, the letter reads: „We believe that unifying events like singing competitions can help bridge our cultural divides and bring people of all backgrounds together through their shared love of music.”
„Those who call for Israel's exclusion subvert the spirit of competition and turn it from a celebration of unity into a tool of politics.”
Last year a group of Icelandic musicians demanded that Iceland boycott Eurovision if Israel participated. Israel will be represented by pop singer Eden Golan.
„Music is a place for unity, not division,” Scooter Braun said in a statement. „This is the language that should always unite us. Artists should never be discriminated against because of who they are, who they love, or where they were born. These attempts at exclusion do nothing but distract from the uplifting and unifying power of music – which we need now more than ever.
Bialik added: “The calls for a boycott and the exclusion of Israeli artists from international events after a horrific violent attack on Israeli citizens is despicable and shameful. Targeting Israeli musicians in this way tarnishes Eurovision's unifying spirit.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May in Malmö, Sweden, and will be hosted by „Watchmen” star Malin Akerman.
The current war in Gaza began weeks after Palestinian terrorists killed 1,400 civilians and kidnapped more than 200 in Israel. More than 130 hostages, the youngest as young as 13 months old, continue to be held in Gaza.
Read the full letter and list of signatories Here.
„Totalny pionier w sieci. Specjalista od piwa niezależny. Ewangelista popkultury. Miłośnik muzyki. Nieprzepraszający przedsiębiorca”.