Deeply Ashamed

[NOTE: This entry has been updated (1) as of 11:54 AM Eastern on 11 Jun. See below.]

[NOTE: This entry has been edited as of 6:16 AM Eastern on 6 Jun to insert the inadvertently omitted critical qualifier "secular" in referring to Jewish law.]

As a general matter, this is the kind of thing we expect from a university under Sharia law within an Islamist state, not from a university under secular Jewish law within a Jewish state, especially where matters of high culture are concerned.

Tel Aviv University, the venue for a symposium on [Richard Wagner] on 18 June culminating in a musical performance, has cancelled the booking made by the Israel Wagner Society following a wave of protests.

[...]

"We have received complaints and angry protests calling for the cancellation of this controversial event, which crosses a red line and would deeply offend the Israeli public in general, and Holocaust survivors in particular," [said the university in a letter released to the media].

As a Jew, we are deeply ashamed.

RTWT here.

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Update (11:54 AM Eastern on 11 Jun): This is absolutely disgraceful!

The Israel Wagner Society is continuing in its efforts to find a venue for a concert of pieces by Richard Wagner, without much success.

Last week, the society found a venue in which to hold a concert this coming Saturday, the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel. A few days later however, hotel ownership changed its mind and cancelled the show.

"Everything was agreed upon with the Hilton's management," said Jonathan Livni, founder of the Israel Wagner Society. "Even the type of chairs — we signed a detailed contract, including which pieces would be played," continued Livni. On Friday afternoon however, despite the signed contract, and after advertisements were posted in newspapers, the Hilton handed down the decision to cancel the show.

"We don’t know the reason for cancellation," said Livni.

RTWT here (registration (free) required).