Frédéric Chaslin refuses to conduct in light of unsympathetic management response.

Frédéric Chaslin, currently Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, walked out of the Israeli Opera on Saturday night after management refused him permission to pay tribute the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack. The popular maestro was scheduled to conduct Puccini’s La Rondine but the opera management decided that a pre-show speech was against company policy, fearing that it would “upset” their audience.

Explaining his actions on Facebook, Chaslin wrote: “Tonight at the Tel Aviv Opera I wanted to speak 30 seconds and play Hatikva to commemorate the four Jewish innocents killed in Paris yesterday and of course the 12 people at Charlie. It was refused to me… As a result, of course, I refuse to conduct tonight.”

The Israeli Opera replied by saying that it was “pained by tragedy and its aftermath and its heart is with the French nation and Jewish community,” but that “for the 30 years that the opera has been in operation, it has insisted on maintaining its routine even on the painful days of dozens of terror attacks and during wars. This is the way of the opera – not to allow terror to win and disturb the routine of our lives.”

^{French Jews hold a vigil in Tel Aviv}

Across town, however, French Jews in Tel Aviv held a memorial the same night for the victims of the attacks, showing solidarity with not only their fellow countrymen but many Jewish organisations and individuals worldwide. “What happened on Friday was something that happened to all of the people of Israel and because of that we are all here,” said one rabbi. “We must all wake up and each of us must see ourselves as though our own brother was hurt on Friday and to use this pain to build.”
In conclusion Chaslin told The Jerusalem Post, “We artists are not just entertainers. Bringing two thousands people together in one hall gives an opportunity to commemorate the fallen and if the Israeli Opera does not find 30 seconds for this it is a shame.”