CELEBRITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY LEADERS SPEAK OUT IN FAVOUR OF THE EUROVISION CONTEST IN ISRAEL AND AGAINST THE CULTURAL BOYCOTT
With the much anticipated Eurovision Song Contest just around the corner, more than 100 artists and leading names in the entertainment industry unite in the spirit of peace and togetherness to show their support for the show in Israel.
This press release has already been picked up and covered by more than 30 news outlets such as CNN, the Evening Standard, the Telegraph, and Yahoo amongst many others.
London, UK (April 30, 2019) – The entertainment industry non-profit organization, Creative Community For Peace (CCFP), has released a statement in support of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Tel Aviv, Israel this May.
The full statement and list of signatories can be found below. Additionally, over 15,000 people from around the world have signed a similar statement on Change.org, asserting that a cultural boycott of Eurovision does not work to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians. [LINK]
This news comes as the BBC recently released its own statement in support of the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel this year, noting that the international song contest, as always, embodies the “values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity.”
Ari Ingel, Director of CCFP, said: “This year, approximately 200 million people will watch, visit and take part in the Eurovision song contest, celebrating music and the diversity of our different cultures. The members of the entertainment industry who have signed this statement, along with the thousands of individuals who have endorsed its message, all believe in building bridges through music and the arts as a means to achieving greater understanding and peace in the region.”
STATEMENT
We, the undersigned, believe that music is our shared language, one that transcends boundaries and brings people together under a common bond.
We believe that unifying events, such as singing competitions, are crucial to help bridge our cultural divides and bring people of all backgrounds together through their shared love of music.
The annual Eurovision Song Contest embodies this unifying power. Every year, millions of people across Europe, and around the world, join together in a massive display of cultural exchange and celebration of music.
Unfortunately, this year, the spirit of togetherness is under attack by those calling to boycott Eurovision 2019 because it is being held in Israel, subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division.
We believe the cultural boycott movement is an affront to both Palestinians and Israelis who are working to advance peace through compromise, exchange, and mutual recognition.
While we all may have differing opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the best path to peace, we all agree that a cultural boycott is not the answer.
We call on all our friends and colleagues around the world to express their support for an exciting and successful Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv.
SIGNATORIES
- Marina Abramović: Performance Artist
- Orly Adelson: President ,Orly Adelson Productions
- Jason Adelman: Vice President, Strategy & Brand Development at Brand Innovators
- Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios
- Michael Adler: Partner, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman
- Alberto (Miss Caffeina): Artist
- Mitch Allen: Music Producer
- Keren Ann - Artist
- Alfredo Arense: Journalist, Radio 3
- Baccara (Cristina y María): Artist
- Gary Barber: Former chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment
- Craig Balsam: Co-founder, ,Razor & Tie Entertainment
- Richard Baskind: Partner & Head of Music Simons, Muirhead & Burton
- Carlos Baute: Artist
- Aton Ben-Horin: Global VP, A&R at Warner Music Group
- Daniel Benmayor: Filmmaker
- Steven Bensusan: President, Blue Note Entertainment Group
- Maya Binkin: The Art Pilgrim
- Neil Blair: The Blair Partnership
- Evan Bogart: Hit Songwriter, President Boardwalk Ent.
- Joshua P. Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP.
- Harvey Brown: Professor
- Scooter Braun: Founder, Sb Projects
- David Byrnes: Partner, Ziffren Brittenham ,LLP
- Simon Callow: Actor
- Ellie Cannon: Doctor and Media Personality
- Caroline Civia: President of Clic Entertainment
- Isabel Coixet: Filmmaker
- Conchita (María Concepción Mendívil): Artist
- Deborah Conway: Artist
- Jim Cooperman: Senior VP Legal & Business Affairs, The Madison Square Garden Company
- Rob Cowan: Point Blank
- Rory Cowan: Actor
- Josh Deutsch: Chairman/CEO ,Downtown Records
- David Draiman: Musician and front man of Disturbed
- Craig Emanuel: Partner, Entertainment & Media, Paul Hastings
- Ron Fair: Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
- Erica Forster: VP of Music Partnerships, DanceOn
- Gary Foster: Principal, Krasnoff Foster Productions
- Daryl Friedman: Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer, The Recording Academy/ GRAMMYs
- Stephen Fry: Actor, Comedian
- Saul Galpern: President, Nude Music Group
- Andrew Genger: Red Light Management
- Gary Gersh: President, Global Talent, A.E.G. Presents
- Gary Ginsberg: Executive VP of Corporate Marketing & Communications, Time Warner Inc.
- Daniel Glass: President & Founder, Glassnote Entertainment Group
- David Glick: Founder & CEO, Edge Group
- Andrew Gould: President of A&R, Downtown Music Publishing
- Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK Management
- Matt Greenberg: Ritholz Levy Fields LLP
- Steve Greenberg: President, S-Curve Records
- Sarah Halioua, Producer, Visionnaire Films
- Ronnie Harris: Harris & Trotter LLP
- Scott Hoffman: Artist (Scissor Sisters), Songwriter and Producer
- Neil Jacobson: President, Geffen Records
- Zach Katz: Former President of A&R BMG, CEO Raised In Space
- Larry Katz: Esq., Lawrence H. Katz, P.C
- Allison Kaye: President of SB Projects
- Adam Kenwright: Executive Vice President at Ambassador Theatre Group
- Ilan Kidron: Artist (Potbelleez)
- Amanda Kogan: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME)
- Rick Krim: Former Co-President, Sony/ATV Music Publishing
- Rosa Lagarrigue: CEO, RLM
- Mollie Lehman: A&R at Atlantic Records
- Colin Lester: CEO, JEM Artists
- David Levy: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME)
- Lior: Artist
- David Lonner: CEO, Oasis Media Group
- Javier López: Artist
- Iona de Macedo: Entertainment industry
- Ben Maddahi: President of Unrestricted
- Imran Majid: EVP/Co-Head of A&R, Columbia Records
- Orly Marley
- David Mazouz: Actor
- Betty Missiego: Artist
- Al Murray: Comedian
- Mónica Naranjo, Artist
- Caroline Norbury: CEO - Creative England
- Tracy Ann Oberman: Actress
- Antonio Martos Ortiz: Artist
- Sharon Osbourne: Manager, Businesswoman, Television Star
- Scott Packman: (Former Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MGM Holdings and Managing Member of SSP Partners)
- Jose Ramón Pardo: Journalist, RNE
- Donald S. Passman: Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, & Brown, Inc.
- Lucía Pérez: Producer, Maestranza Films
- Antonio Pérez: Maestranza Films
- Dean Raise: C3 Presents
- David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing Group
- Rachel Riley: Actress, TV Presenter
- Lindy Robbins: Multi-platinum Songwriter
- Jaimison M. Roberts: Attorney at Law
- Dan Rosen: CEO, Australian Recording Industry Association
- Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President, Lyric Culture
- Rick Rosen: Co-Founder & Head of Television, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
- Haim Saban: Businessman, Philanthropist and Producer
- Marta Sánchez: Artist
- Rafa Sánchez: Artist
- Paul Schindler: Senior Chair of the New York Entertainment & Media Practice, Greenberg Traurig LLC
- Steve Schnur: Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts
- Sam Schwartz: Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
- Jonathan Shalit OBE: Chairman - InterTalent Rights Group
- Ben Silverman: Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content
- Gene Simmons: Band member of KISS
- Ralph Simon: Chairman & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited
- David Simone: President - DSW Entertainment
- Soraya: Artist
- Jeff Sosnow: SVP of A&R at Warner Music Group
- Jose Ortega Soto (Manzanita): Artist
- Gary Stiffelman: Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP
- Aaron Symonds: Film Composer
- Traci Szymanski: President of Co-Star Entertainment/Israelife Media Group
- Sharon Tal Yguado: Head of Event Series at Amazon
- Adam Taylor: President, APM Music
- Joyce Trabulus: Manager
- Mario Vaquerizo: Artist and TV & Radio Collaborator
- José Sainz de Vicuña: President, Impala films
- Peter Wade: Producer and President of WonderSound
** Note – The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.
Contact: Maggie Sheldon (PR)
Email: msheldon2@webershandwick.com (PR)
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