Wolf Alice have joined a growing number of artists to back a boycott of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The Mercury Prize-winning band spoke to Sky News, where they accused Israel of “weaponising culture” and of being “serial human rights abusers”.

Wolf Alice guitarist Joff Oddie claimed that the country was using Eurovision and wider culture to “whitewash over their human rights abuses”, and said the boycott was a response to “a call from Palestinian civil society”.

“We asked Palestine – ‘do you want us to come?’ ‘No – do not come’ and that’s what you do, you respect the people who are being oppressed,” he said.

Top 10 Eurovision winners Show all 10 1 /10 Top 10 Eurovision winners Top 10 Eurovision winners 10. “Molitva” – Marija Šerifović (Serbia, 2007) Let’s get down to business. Making their debut at Eurovision, Serbia later romped home as champions with this high-drama ballad. In an era when extravagance had well and truly taken hold, the staging was notably bare. The orchestra, the belting, the key changes, and the five backing singers dressed as a cross between beauty queens and security guards all make this feel like the climax of a modern opera. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 9. “Hard Rock Hallelujah” – Lordi (Finland, 2006) Has Eurovision ever seen anything like it, before or since? Finland’s first win after 45 years of participating came at the hands of a heavy metal band dressed in monster costumes – but this ranking is not based on novelty alone. Behind the growled vocals and pyrotechnics, “Hard Rock Hallelujah” is a pretty great song – even for those who ordinarily can’t stand this kind of thing. The backing vocals on the chorus are a particular high. It also provided a welcome departure from the high-octane pop-fest that many believe Eurovision to be. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 8. “Hold Me Now” – Johnny Logan (Ireland, 1987) The jewel in the crown of Ireland’s seven wins is this corker from Logan, who returned looking every inch the matinee idol in his pristine white suit. It’s the kind of big power ballad that fist-clenching was made for, and his big build on “I will always love you” should win another prize for the most ambitious key change. Rex Top 10 Eurovision winners 7. “Fångad av en stormvind” – Carola (Sweden, 1991) One of Sweden’s most popular entries, Carola is winning from the moment she bounds on stage and lets out that first “Woah-oh-oh!”. Her voice is flawless, the key changes are great, and who doesn’t appreciate a wind machine? Another slice of Scandi pop perfection. AFP/Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 6. “Making Your Mind Up” – Bucks Fizz (United Kingdom, 1981) A high energy pop song with colourful young performers and fun choreography – “Making Your Mind Up” is the stuff that Eurovision is made of. The famous moment when the boys ripped off the girls’ skirts only to reveal shorter skirts beneath them is one of the competition’s most famous moments. A number one hit record across Europe that year, the song remains as infectious today as ever. PA Top 10 Eurovision winners 5. “Ne partez pas sans moi” – Céline Dion (Switzerland, 1988) Celine Dion was just 20 years old when she came to international attention with this performance. The song itself is excellent – a French chanson worthy of Edith Piaf, with a slightly twee drum machine stepping up the beat for a bop of a chorus. This all took place before Celine was transformed into an ageless power ballad queen (see the pageant-esque hair and outfit), but it’s thrilling to hear how her vocals were sheer perfection even then. Oh, and the arm choreography was well on its way too. EPA Top 10 Eurovision winners 4. “Love Shine a Light” – Katrina and the Waves (United Kingdom, 1997) The beautiful fusion of hammond organ, tambourines, hand clapping and the quasi-spiritual lyrics themselves make this feel like a glorious hymn – and Katrina really takes it to church. One of the highest scorers in modern times, this was the last time the UK won the competition, and it came the day after Labour’s landslide 1997 election victory. What a time to be alive. PA Top 10 Eurovision winners 3. “Rise Like a Phoenix” – Conchita Wurst (Austria, 2014) Conchita’s performance had everything you could want in a Eurovision performance. Elegant and fierce all at once, “Rise Like a Phoenix” could match the finest Bond theme, and is easily one of the most timeless of all the winners. The big band adds to the glamour of it all, and brings the goosebumps on that dramatic orchestral rise towards the final chorus. It was a powerful moment for LGBT+ visibility, too; the song’s theme of triumph over adversity secured it as an anthem for life’s survivors. AFP/Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 2. “Euphoria” – Loreen (Sweden, 2012) It’s hard to pick any other recent winner that comes as close to contemporary chart toppers as “Euphoria” – a dance hit that many contemporary pop stars would kill for. Written by Sweden’s Thomas G:son – who has produced more than 90 songs for Eurovision competitors across multiple countries – “Euphoria” is built on clever pop formulas. The chorus itself is anthemic perfection, but when Loreen tacks on: “We’re going up, up, up...” it strikes gold. The Kate Bush-esque performance was an added bonus. Getty Top 10 Eurovision winners 1. “Waterloo” – ABBA (Sweden, 1974) ABBA burst onto the stage at the 1974 competition, kickstarting Sweden’s international reputation as masters of pop. Early adopters of the kind of kitsch which would come to typify the show, ABBA used their platform to offer a taste of the cultural phenomenon they would go on to become. From the opening piano build to the switch between a minor bridge and major chorus, to the catchy hooks littered throughout, “Waterloo” is a masterclass in how to write a hit, and the song rightly went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time. ABBA continue to influence Eurovision contestants to this day, and while you may have another favourite, “Waterloo” is a song on which most people can agree is a solid gold classic. We promise to love you forever more. AFP/Getty

The band previously spoke about their support of an Israel boycott in an interview with The Independent last year.

“We agreed years ago that we wouldn’t go there, but this was about agreeing that we would make it public,” Oddie said at the time. ”It’s been the worst period of violence since the bombings in Gaza in 2014, so [for us] it was just a big kick up the arse to say, look, we do support this.”

“If you say you’re not gonna go to Israel, then lots of people ask you why you’re going to other countries where you don’t believe in their government’s actions,” frontwoman Ellie Rowsell added. ”People ask, ‘Why do you go to America? Does that mean you support Trump?’

“And I can see why [they] think that’s hypocritical, but you won’t do anything if you think like that. Everywhere’s f****d, and in terms of the cultural boycott of Israel, that’s what the Palestinian people have asked for.”

Israel won the honour of hosting Eurovision after its contestant Netta won last year’s contest. The semi-finals take place in Tel Aviv this week on 14 and 15 May, with the grand final on Saturday.

Wolf Alice are among a group of artists including Roger Waters and Peter Gabriel who signed an open letter calling for a boycott, and for the BBC to cancel its coverage of the competition.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has been calling for a complete cultural boycott of Israel since 2005, insisting the violation of Palestinian human rights cannot be ignored.

The BBC has said Eurovision “is not a political event” and in a statement said their coverage would continue.

“The competition has always supported the values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance and diversity and we do not believe it would be appropriate to use the BBC’s participation for political reasons,” it said.

“Because of this we will be taking part in this year’s event. The host country is determined by the rules of the competition, not the BBC.”

Another group of artists, writers, and TV personalities, including Stephen Fry and Sharon Osbourne, are among those to sign a counter open letter that rejects the Eurovision boycott.