The former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters is one of the most vocal advocates for the cultural boycott of Israel, over the controversial occupied Palestinian territories.
On Monday the 75-year-old legend took one step further and has called on the 41 finalists participating in 2019 Eurovision in Tel Aviv to boycott the event over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
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Last year Israeli Netta Barzilai’s song “Toy” won the Eurovision contest and the Israel right to host the prestigious song competition on May 18 at Expo Tel Aviv.
The rock musician posted on his Instagram account an open letter to the 41 singers finalists that Israel is an Apartheid regime, responsible for ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities.
As an active at Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement he has frequently asked performers to refrain from coming to Israel.
After winning the right to host the song contest, the former Pink Floyd singer, together with more than 100 of musicians, actors, filmmakers, and directors from around the globe, was calling for a boycott of the Eurovision in Tel Aviv.
The letter published by the Guardian said they supported Palestinian artists’ boycott of the contest since Israel “violates Palestinian human rights.”
“Until Palestinians can enjoy freedom, justice, and equal rights, there should be no business-as-usual with the state that is denying them their basic rights,” the letter read and continued, “Eurovision 2019 should be boycotted if it is hosted by Israel while it continues its grave, decades-old violations of Palestinian human rights.”