Mr. Gelb’s interesting week continues… As it stands, The Death of Klinghoffer is not itself anti-Semitic, yet they are going ahead and pulling the planned broadcast because of what “might” happen if it was.
Today, the National Coalition Against Censorship, National Opera Association, PEN American Center, The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, Free Expression Policy Project, Article 19, Freemuse, freeDimensional have released a joint statement expressing their collective dismay:
As national and international organizations committed to the right to artistic freedom of expression and an open exchange of ideas, we are deeply concerned about the Metropolitan Opera’s cancellation of more than 2000 HD live screenings of John Adams’ opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, in 65 countries. We urge the Metropolitan and its director, Peter Gelb, to reconsider and proceed with the scheduled screenings.
Artistic interpretation of the complexity of contemporary events always carries the potential of stirring controversy, but it also has the ability to enhance understanding of polarizing issues. Cultural institutions can play a crucial role in promoting understanding and peaceful dialogue in a world of conflict, but only if they stand up to pressure groups from all sides. If they don’t, they are likely to become either irrelevant or a tool in the hands of competing political interests.
The Death of Klinghoffer, written in 1991 and based on real events, addresses political issues which remain as urgent today as they were at the time of its writing: terrorism and conflict in the Middle East. The opera has been subject to controversy many times with attacks coming from both Jewish and Palestinian organizations, each side claiming that The Death of Klinghoffer was biased against it.
Read the entire statement here: National Coalition Against Censorship
Michael Vincent