From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 16, 2026
Zubin Mehta says he cancelled Israel performances over Netanyahu’s policies on Palestinians
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Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta, who led the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly 50 years, says that he has canceled all his performances in Israel in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies regarding the Palestinians.
“I cancelled all my engagements in Israel this year because of my objection to Mr Netanyahu’s way of treating the whole Palestinian issue,” Mehta says in an interview with India Today, adding that he hopes that Netanyahu will be voted out of office at the next elections.
The 89-year-old Indian maestro cancelled a number of performances in Israel at the end of last year, citing health issues.
Exclusive: Where Zubin Mehta has a message for artists in India and across the world: don’t stay silent, speak out on political issues of public interest . Listen in to the music maestro. Full interview on Republic Day with a true legend ⭐️ https://t.co/gKgUOOsRHP
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 15, 2026
The Times of Israel Community.