The Royal Ballet and Opera (RBO), one of Britain’s most prestigious arts institutions, has canceled its planned production of “Tosca” in Israel after a widespread staff backlash.
In a recent open letter, 182 members of staff said they “reject” holding current or future performances in Israel because of its war in Gaza.
The RBO had planned to stage the three-act opera, which dramatizes the “devastation of war,” in collaboration with the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv next year.
But the signatories accused the RBO of having “chosen to actively support the Israeli state” while its government is “currently engaged in crimes against humanity” in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Alex Beard, RBO’s chief executive, confirmed to CNN Wednesday that the production had been canceled, but said the decision had been taken “before the recent staff letter was received” and out of “concerns about the safety of company members in the region, in light of the ongoing conflict.”
The letter from staff was prompted by a dispute that broke out within the organization last month after a dancer held up a Palestinian flag during the curtain call for a performance of “Il Trovatore.”
Widely shared videos of the moment showed a fracas between the dancer and a man who stepped from the wings to try to snatch the flag from the dancer’s hands.
In a statement at the time, reported in UK media, the RBO said the dancer’s display was a “completely inappropriate” and “unauthorized action” that fell foul of the organization’s “commitment to political impartiality.” However, the organization’s response sparked widespread condemnation among staff.
In their open letter, RBO staff expressed solidarity with the dancer who unfurled the Palestinian flag. It said that the attempt to snatch the flag from him “sent a clear message that any visible solidarity with Palestine would be met with hostility.”
Staff demanded that the organization withholds “our productions from institutions that legitimize and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians.”
More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage.
The letter also took aim at what it called the RBO’s “hypocritical” stance, citing the organization’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“We understood then that silence was unacceptable. Why is it different now? Why is Palestinian suffering met with silence, while Ukrainian suffering was met with action? The double standard is deafening,” it said.
Beard, the chief executive, said in a statement reported in UK media that the RBO’s support for Ukraine was “aligned with the global consensus at the time,” but that “as the world’s geopolitics have become more complex, our stance has changed to ensure that our actions reflect our purpose and values.”
He said he was “appalled by the crisis in Gaza” and that the RBO acknowledges and respects “the full range of views held by our staff, artists and audiences.”
Artists for Palestine UK, an activist group, praised the RBO’s decision to cancel the production in Israel, claiming “never before has the management of such an institution responded with immediate action.”
Alarm over the suffering in Gaza has reached new heights in recent months since Israel put the enclave under a blockade, causing Palestinians to die of starvation and malnutrition.
Following the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The RBO’s production of “Tosca” will premiere in London in September. The Israeli Opera website has since removed all reference to the planned production.
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