Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, opposition leaders in Greece have been calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and led petitions to block Israeli attendance at various events in the country.
The latest and most prominent demonstration of this was the cancellation of an Easter concert planned to take place in Athens, featuring Israeli conductor Yuval Zorn and the Athens Symphony Orchestra. The event was advertised by the Israeli embassy in the country.
The event was brought up for discussion during a city council meeting, with a call for its immediate cancellation alongside blaming Israel for carrying out a "genocide" in Gaza. Leftist parties moved to cancel the event, led by the Communist Party of Greece. Although the party's political power in Greece is limited, it controls most workers' unions in various sectors of the country.
Athens’ mayor, who took office in January, responded by noting the concert’s approval was made under the previous city administration's leadership and that its cancellation would be examined.
The Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens issued a letter describing the situation in Gaza, the resolution passed by the UN Security Council for a cease-fire, and the ongoing lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Additionally, the organization expressed concern about holding the event amid protests and expected disturbances, assuming the concert would proceed as planned.
Athens’ mayor spoke with Israel's ambassador to Greece, Noam Katz, in recent days. In their conversations, he said that the orchestra’s musicians expressed their concern and reluctance to participate in the event, and added that he sees no other option but to cancel the event due to the musicians’ sentiments.
Following this and following consultation with Jewish community leaders in Athens, the ambassador requested that Athens’ mayor announce a new date for the concert rather than cancel it outright.
Officials at the Israeli Embassy in Greece estimated that the local municipality will likely not cooperate with Israel's request amid the current climate toward the country, especially after local authorities in Athens have recently taken on pro-Palestinian stances.