Several hundred demonstrators have begun to gather outside the Metropolitan Opera in New York to protest the production of John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer due to open next month. The opera depicts the 1985 hijacking of the cruise-ship Achille Lauro and the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, a wheelchair-bound American Jewish passenger by Palestinian terrorists.

An angry crowd of mostly Jewish people turned up to confront patrons attending the opening night of The Marriage of Figaro – the first opera in the Met’s recently rescued season, following the resolution of the company’s protracted wage negotiations.

Protestors listened to a series of speakers condemning the opera and calling for the Met to pull the production, which is now in rehearsal. Several held up placards, many bearing inflammatory slogans such as “Metropolitan Nazi Opera,” and “Gelb Are You Taking Terror $$$?” Others called for the opera house to be penalised: “Stop the Hate — Defund Met Opera”.

Meanwhile, in a park opposite Lincoln Center Rabbi Avi Weiss led prayers for Mr. Klinghoffer on Monday morning. Like many of those protesting the staging Weiss has never attended a production. “I’ve not seen it,” he admitted , “but I’ve heard enough about it and I don’t...