Klinghoffer’s daughters say opera ‘romanticizes’ terror
In statement to be inserted into playbill, family of slain American tourist says performance sullies his memory
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The daughters of slain American tourist Leon Klinghoffer released a statement Sunday, a day before the opening of the play recounting the murder of their father, saying it “rationalizes, romanticizes and legitimizes” the killing.
“Tonight, as you watch The Death of Klinghoffer, a baritone will play the role of Leon Klinghoffer, and sing The Aria of the Falling Body as he artfully falls into the sea,” wrote Lisa and Ilsa Klinghoffer in a statement released by the Anti-Defamation League that will be inserted into the playbill. “Competing choruses will highlight Jewish and Palestinian narratives of suffering and oppression, selectively presenting the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The terrorists, portrayed by four distinguished opera singers, will be given a back story, an ‘explanation’ for their brutal act of terror and violence.
“We are strong supporters of the arts, and believe that theater and music can play a critical role in examining and understanding significant world events. The Death of Klinghoffer does no such thing. It presents false moral equivalencies without context, and offers no real insight into the historical reality and the senseless murder of an American Jew. It rationalizes, romanticizes and legitimizes the terrorist murder of our father.”
They said their family was not consulted by the composer and had no role in the opera’s development.
“For our family, the impact of terrorism is obviously deeply personal,” they continued. “We lost our father because of the violent political agenda of these terrorists. The trauma of his murder never goes away.”
The Klinghoffers called their father “caring, creative, thoughtful and smart… a universal symbol of the threat terrorism poses to our societies, our values and our lives.”
“He was an inspiration to us,” they wrote. “It is particularly sad that the life of such a vibrant and gentle man could end suddenly in such a hate-filled and violent manner.
“Terrorism cannot be rationalized. It cannot be understood. It can never be tolerated as a vehicle for political expression or grievance. Unfortunately, The Death of Klinghoffer does all this, and sullies the memory of a fine, principled, sweet man in the process.”
ADL head Abraham Foxman said that despite going ahead with the performance, the Metropolitan Opera has been responsive to the concerns of the family and of the ADL. “The Met was very open to hearing our concerns,” he said. “After listening to our views, they have agreed to cancel the simulcasts and to take steps to ensure that the Klinghoffer family’s perspective is clearly heard by opera patrons.”
The opera tells the story of the murder of Klinghoffer, a disabled Jewish American passenger by Palestinian hijackers on the cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985.
The first of eight performances will be Monday, October 20. But the attacks have had their effect: The company pulled the plug on planned HD and radio broadcasts, canceled a panel discussion out of safety concerns, agreed to include the note in the program from Klinghoffer’s daughters denouncing the opera.
“Klinghoffer,” has provoked controversy from the time of its premiere in 1991 in Brussels, Belgium. Some later productions were canceled and others were picketed, though the Met clearly hoped that after 23 years the furor had died down.
In 1986, the Klinghoffer family established the Leon and Marilyn Klinghoffer Memorial Foundation of the Anti-Defamation League, which is dedicated to which is dedicated to developing educational, legislative and legal responses to terrorism.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani reportedly will lead a protest Monday against the controversial opera.
Last month, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Met on its Opening Night Gala chanting “Shame on the Met!” and “Say no to the show!” in protest of the Met’s decision to produce it.
Among the politicians expected to join Monday’s rally are former New York Governor George Pataki, and Congressman Eliot Engel, as well as former governor David Paterson, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz and Congressman Peter King, the New York Observer reported.
There will be a “heavy police presence” at Monday night’s opening, the New York Post reported, citing police sources.
JTA contributed to this report.
