Boy George pushes back on Israel boycott calls led by Roger Waters

British pop singer and Culture Club frontman Boy George rejects calls by fellow artists, including Roger Waters, to boycott Israel, citing his close ties with Jewish friends.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

British singer Boy George has pushed back against calls for him to boycott this year’s Eurovision Song Contest over Israel’s participation, saying he will not abandon his “many Jewish friends.”

The 64-year-old Culture Club frontman is due to represent San Marino at the 2026 contest in Vienna alongside Italian singer Senhit.

Speaking amid growing pressure from anti-Israel campaigners, Boy George said: “Are people asking me as a principled human being to turn my back on my Jewish friends? It’s not going to happen, it’s never going to happen.”

He also said he has had “many, many Jewish friends” since he was a teenager.

Boy George, whose real name is George Alan O’Dowd, drew a distinction between his personal ties to Jews and Israeli politics.

“I am not necessarily affiliated with Israel. I don’t really have an opinion on that.”

The singer also pointed to his past performances in Israel and said he had previously ignored pressure not to go.

“I played in Israel. I got a letter from Roger Waters telling me not to go to Israel and I went, because I’ve got a lot of fans in Israel,” he said.

The comments come as the Eurovision dispute has intensified.

In December that the European Broadcasting Union chose not to hold a vote on barring Israel from the contest, instead adopting new rules aimed at limiting government influence on the competition.

Since then, the pressure campaign has widened. Pitchfork reported on April 21 that more than 1,100 artists signed an open letter urging a boycott of Eurovision 2026 until Israeli broadcaster Kan is banned, while The Jerusalem Post reported that more than 1,000 entertainment figures signed a letter backing Israel’s continued inclusion.

The call to boycott Israel from the Eurovision, dubbed the “No Music for Genocide” initiative, is being backed by a number of prominent recording artists including long-time critic of Israel Roger Waters, Brian Eno, Macklemore, Peter Gabriel, and Kneecap.

A letter of support for Israel’s inclusion in the contest also drew high-profile signatories including Gene Simmons, Boy George, Scooter Braun, and Sharon Osbourne.