British Actor John Cleese Says He Canceled Israel Shows Due to ‘Safety’ Concerns After Being Accused of Caving to BDS
John Cleese. Photo: BANG Showbiz
British actor and comedian John Cleese took to social media on Tuesday to clarify claims about him canceling a series of sold-out shows in Israel, a move that a local promoter blamed on pressure from supporters of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state.
The “Monty Python” actor, 86, was set to perform a series of shows in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in late November and early December. All of the performances were to be moderated by Israeli entertainer and comedian Tzivka Hadar.
Alon Yurik Productions, the promoter behind the shows, issued a statement on Monday night claiming that Cleese called off the sold-out shows after he “succumbed to threats from BDS organizations,” according to The Jewish Chronicle.
In a social media post on Tuesday morning, Cleese explained that “contrary to the claims made by Alon Yurik Productions,” he rescheduled his shows in Israel “following advice about safety” because “at 86, that is obviously all important.”
“I will rearrange these shows as soon as it’s possible – and I would be happy to perform without receiving any fee,” he added. “I am hugely fond of Israeli audiences and send my sincere apologies to all the people who bought tickets.” The same performances were originally scheduled for June, but Cleese, who in 1975 created and starred in the sitcom “Fawlty Towers,” postponed the shows because of the war between Iran and Israel at the time.
The actor has recently shared on social media several posts that criticize Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He shared a video of Jewish actor Mandy Patinkin blasting Netanyahu and another clip of American actor Mark Ruffalo talking about severing ties with friends who justify Israel’s military actions targeting the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip over the past two years. Cleese also shared posts that promote fake news, including a claim that a former IDF soldier admitted to killing “countless babies for Israel,” which he never said.
In another post, Cleese commented “unbelievable” regarding a tweet of a fake quote attributed to former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Tzipi Hotovely. The fake quote reads: “There could be a million dead Palestinian children and I would still sleep well in the evening.” Hotovely said during an interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” over the summer: “We [Israel] never target civilians. Israel is not killing children, Hamas is using them as human shields … Israel is not deliberately killing children and this accusation is a fake thing.”