Swedish music stars call for Israel Eurovision ban over Gaza

Swedish singer Fever Ray, pictured performing in London in August, is one of the major Swedish artists to have signed the open letter. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

More than 1,000 musical artists from Eurovision host country Sweden have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be excluded from this year’s edition of the song contest over its “brutal warfare in Gaza”.

Published in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the open letter says that by allowing Israel to participate, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) “is exhibiting a remarkable double standard that undermines the organisation’s credibility”.