Protesters Call For Metropolitan Opera To Cancel 'The Death of Klinghoffer'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Editor's note: We mistakenly attributed the following quote to Rabbi Avi Weiss: "We are going to be back here -- everyone here and many, many more -- every night of the Klinghoffer opera until the set is burned to the ground."
In fact, the comment was made by Jeff Wiesenfeld, not Rabbi Weiss. We regret the error and sincerely apologize to Mr. Weiss for the mistake on our end.
As The Metropolitan Opera opens its new season Monday night, demonstrators called for one of its productions to be canceled.
"The Death of Klinghoffer" depicts the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro and the murder of disabled Jewish passenger Leon Klinghoffer.
As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, operagoers in black tie – including celebrity soprano Renee Fleming, walked a gauntlet of protesters who were upset over the performance.
Protesters Calling For Metropolitan Opera To Cancel 'The Death of Klinghoffer'
"I mean, what are we going to do next down the line? Have an opera about ISIS?" one man said.
New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) said he is looking for ways to cut state funding to Lincoln Center.
"I mean, it's absolutely insane to do this," Hikind said.
The production freely admits to humanizing all sides in the conflict. But Rabbi Avi Weiss told WCBS 880's Paul Murnane the opera comes with a dangerous message.
Protesters Calling For Metropolitan Opera To Cancel 'The Death of Klinghoffer'
"This sends a message to terrorists that you can do this kind of thing and you're going to be presented in a glorified, sympathetic way," said Weiss, who admits he hasn't seen the opera.
Weiss addressed the protesters as they stood across the street from Lincoln Center, 1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported.
"We are going to be back here -- everyone here and many, many more -- every night of the Klinghoffer opera until the set is burned to the ground," Jeff Wiesenfeld said to the protesters.
But operagoer John Kersh said he didn't understand the fuss about "The Death of Klinghoffer."
"It's just the reality of art," he said. "I think these people have the right to protest, and people have the right to see it."
Some attending Monday night's performance of "The Marriage of Figaro" said they'll be back to the Met to judge for themselves.
"If there is a lot of anti-Semitism then they are 100 percent right, but I want to convince myself," one man said.
Protesters Call For Metropolitan Opera To Cancel 'The Death of Klinghoffer'
In a video on the Met Opera's website, director Tom Morris says he views "The Death of Klinghoffer" as an intellectual exercise.
"It's saying, 'Let's spend some time wrestling with the very difficult questions that arise from this very difficult conflict,'" Morris says.
"The Death of Klinghoffer" will be performed on select dates from Oct. 20 to Nov. 15.
In June, the Met canceled plans for a November simulcast to cinemas around the world of the opera amid fears that it could fan anti-Semitism.
Opera officials made the decision after discussions with the Anti-Defamation League.
Peter Gelb, the Met's general manager, said the show is not anti-Semitic. The Anti-Defamation League's Ken Jacobsen agreed, but added that it's very biased.
"They take the issue of a horrible act of terrorism, and there's a rationalization — a kind of equivalence, more equivalence," Jacobsen said.
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