As “The Death of Klinghoffer” began its first performance at the Metropolitan Opera Monday night, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani joined Jewish war veterans and other protesters calling for the production’s cancellation. NY1′s Lori Chung filed the following report.
Calling it “racist” and an insult—at least two separate groups of protesters denounced the opening of the opera “The Death of Klinghoffer,” calling it a glorification of anti-Semitism and terrorism.
“You cannot elevate art into what is basically a debasement of humankind,” said protester Martin Rothman.
Opera-goers said the controversy continued inside.
“One man yelling, ‘The Death of Klinghoffer will not be forgiven!’ but it passed pretty quickly,” said one attendee.
“It was just someone shouting, but then that stopped,” said another attendee.
The opera—considered a classic by many since its premiere in 1991—centers on the death of Leon Klinghoffer.
The 69-year-old man was shot and killed in his wheelchair by Palestinian terrorists during the 1985 hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro.
“The opera completely distorts history and gives a very wrong impression of terrorism and I think it succeeds in romanticizing terrorism,” said Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was among those slamming the Met for mounting the show.
The current mayor, who says he hasn’t seen the opera, had a different take.
“The former mayor had a history of challenging cultural institutions when he disagreed with their content. I don’t think that’s the American way,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
The Met’s general manager said security had been heightened, because some of the performers had received death threats, but one first amendment attorney we spoke with says, in the end, it’s a matter of free speech.
“No community, whether it be Jewish or Italian or Irish, should have the right to censor what other people in the community can see,” attorney Martin Garbus said.
“The way it was done was very tasteful and people who haven’t seen the opera who feel opposed to it should at least give it a chance,” said one attendee.
Met manager Peter Gelb has defended the opera throughout the controversy, saying its subject matter shouldn’t disqualify it as a work of art.
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