Two concerts by the Israeli music ensemble, Jerusalem Quartet, set to be held at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, have been cancelled. The decision was announced on Tuesday, citing “announced demonstrations and recent developments surrounding protests in Amsterdam” as the reasons for the cancellation.

The Concertgebouw stated that the safety of their employees, visitors, and musicians was the primary concern in making this decision.

The Jerusalem Quartet, renowned for their performances of classical music, was scheduled to play pieces by Felix Mendelssohn, Claude Debussy, and Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim on Thursday and Saturday. The string quartet comprises three violinists and a cellist.

In February, pro-Palestinian activists disrupted a Jerusalem Quartet concert at the Theater Diligentia in The Hague, shouting over the music and waving Palestinian flags until security intervened and removed them from the venue. A similar disruption occurred a month earlier at a concert at the Muziekgebouw aan‘t IJ in Amsterdam. In 2010, the group’s performance in London was also interrupted during a live BBC broadcast.

Anti-Israel groups argue that the quartet serves as a cultural front for the Israeli state to enhance its international image and deflect attention from the situation in the Palestinian territories.

The Central Jewish Consultation (CJO) expressed strong disapproval of the Concertgebouw’s decision in a letter, stating, “It is with total disbelief that the CJO has learned that the Concertgebouw has decided to cancel the concerts by the Jerusalem Quartet scheduled for May 16 and 18.”

The CJO criticised the venue’s actions, saying, “Your actions have given new meaning to the word ‘cancel culture.’ You capitulate.” They urged the Concertgebouw to reconsider and proceed with the scheduled performances.

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