Eurovision outrage was unleashed on the BBC, with calls for the broadcaster to axe Olly Alexander as the UK’s representative after it emerged he had signed an anti-Israel letter. Alexander, who is the frontman of electropop outfit Years and Years, was announced as the UK’s candidate for Eurovision during Saturday night’s Strictly Come Dancing final.
However, backlash has grown against his position after he signed a letter from LGBT charity Voices4London which called Israel an “apartheid regime” that was attempting to “ethnically cleanse” Palestine.
The letter was published by the organisation nearly two weeks after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
The note also says Israel “terrorised” Palestinian people and “genocide” was now occurring “in real time”.
According to the Telegraph, the Conservative Party has accused the BBC of “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck” for its decision to select Alexander.
Meanwhile a Jewish charity has demanded he be replaced and the broadcaster cut its ties with him.
But, it appears the BBC is not planning on taking any action over the incident as it happened before he was unveiled as the UK’s Eurovision act.
Alexander, who is non-binary, allegedly signed the letter which said: “We are watching a genocide take place in real time.
“Death overflows from our phone screens and into our hearts. And, as a queer community, we cannot sit idly by while the Israeli government continues to wipe out entire lineages of Palestinian families.
“We cannot untangle these recent tragedies from a violent history of occupation.
“Current events simply are an escalation of the state of Israel’s apartheid regime, which acts to ethnically cleanse the land.
“Since the violent creation of the state 75 years ago, the Israeli military and Israeli settlers have continued to terrorise Palestinian people.”
It added: “Queer and trans Palestinians have long highlighted that pinkwashing plays a significant role in Zionist propaganda. We stand against any and all harassment and discrimination against Jewish communities.
“For the many queer and anti-Zionist Jewish individuals invested in liberation, this unthinking philosemitism, which hesitates to criticise an ongoing genocide out of fear of being seen to criticise Jewish people, is simply the other face of anti-Semitism.”
A Conservative Party source told the Telegraph that “letting an openly anti-Israel singer compete on the same stage as Israel is either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC”.
They added: “After they refused to call Hamas a terrorist organisation, you would think BBC bosses would try to steer clear of causing any more diplomatic blunders.
Maybe it’s time to stop letting the BBC decide who represents the UK at Eurovision.”
Upon the announcement, Alexander said he intended to “fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible”.
Express.co.uk contacted Olly Alexander’s management team for comment.
