Madonna defends decision to perform at Eurovision: 'I'll never stop playing music to suit someone's political agenda'

The pop icon is slated to perform during the Eurovision final on Saturday
Statement: Madonna has broken her silence amid calls to boycott Eurovision
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Billboard Magazine

Madonna has defended her decision to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel amid calls to boycott the show.

Pro-Palestinian activists have asked performers to shun the annual contest, which is set to take place in Tel Aviv after Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won last year with her song Toy.

Madonna said that she will never bow to “someone’s political agenda” and will continue to speak out “against violations of human rights” in a statement to Reuters.

“I’ll never stop playing music to suit someone’s political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be,” she said.

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“My heart breaks every time I hear about the innocent lives that are lost in this region and the violence that is so often perpetuated to suit the political goals of people who benefit from this ancient conflict.

“I hope and pray that we will soon break free from this terrible cycle of destruction and create a new path towards peace.”

The 60-year-old star is set to perform two songs – one from her latest album Madame X and another classic track – at the Eurovision final on Saturday.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Madonna landed in Israel on Tuesday night.

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Doubt was cast on the status of her performance earlier this week, when executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand said that negotiations with the singer were ongoing.

“We are negotiating now, in the final stage of that – but if there is no signed contract this week, she will not be on stage,” he said.

In January, a group of public figures including Dame Vivienne Westwood, director Mike Leigh, actress Maxine Peake and the band Wolf Alice signed a letter calling on the BBC to cancel its Eurovision coverage.

They argued that although Eurovision “may be light entertainment,” the contest “is not exempt from human rights considerations – and we cannot ignore Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian human rights.

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They urged the broadcaster to call on the EBU to “relocate [the contest] to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed.”

More recently, a statement released by non-profit organisation Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) claimed that calls for a boycott are “subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division.”

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It argued that Eurovision’s “unifying power” is “under attack” by calls for a boycott.

“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,” it read.

“While we all may have differing opinions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the bath to peace, we all agree that a cultural boycott is not the answer.”

The 64th Eurovision Song Contest final will air on BBC One on Saturday, May 18 from 8pm.

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