The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, which has been touring South America with solo violinist Itamar Zorman, has been targeted by the BDS movement, which is calling on music lovers to stay away from the concerts and staging protests outside the concert halls where the orchestra is scheduled to perform.
Ahead of the orchestra’s scheduled concert in Santiago, Chile—the last stop on the South American tour—BDS activists organized a demonstration outside the concert hall and put up posters showing conductor Yeruham Scharovsky spattered in blood.
The BDS movement was also lying in wait in São Paulo, Brazil, when the orchestra arrived there last week. Protesters waved PLO flags and shouted condemnations of Israel. The Brazilian police moved them away from the venue and the concert went on as planned, but under heavy security.
Smaller demonstrations took place in Buenos Aires and in Tucumán Province in northwest Argentina, as well as in Lima, Peru.
JSO director General Yair Stern said incidents such as these were “unpleasant,” but did not cast a pall over the performances.
“The police kept order and allowed the performances to go on as planned,” said Stern. The halls were full.”