The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s recent cancellation of pianist Jayson Gillham’s performance for dedicating a piece on Sunday to journalists killed in Gaza is not merely a misstep in artistic freedom, it is a glaring example of the systemic erasure of Palestinian humanity that has become deeply entrenched in our society.
For many Jews like me, our Jewish heritage teaches us the importance of “Tikkun Olam” — repairing the world. Today, that repair means confronting a truth that might make some people uncomfortable: the state of Israel is purposely destroying hundreds of thousands of Palestinian lives and attempting to erase Palestinian culture and memory.
It’s worth repeating Gillham’s dedication in full. His management told the ABC that he introduced a piece of music — the world premiere of a 2024 piece by Australian composer Connor D’Netto called “Witness” that is dedicated to the journalists of Gaza — with these words:
Over the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than one hundred Palestinian journalists. A number of these have been targeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were travelling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets. The killing of journalists is a war crime in international law, and it is done in an effort to prevent the documentation and broadcasting of war crimes to the world.
In addition to the role of journalists who bear witness, the word Witness in Arabic is Shaheed, which also means Martyr.
The MSO responded by sending an email to ticket holders explaining the D’Netto piece was “a late addition to the advertised program” (one the MSO had approved at Gillham’s request) and flagging that it would be cancelling the pianist’s upcoming performances. The MSO apologised for the remarks:
They were an intrusion of personal political views on what should have been a morning focused on a program of works for solo piano … The MSO does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views.
The MSO understands that his remarks have caused offence and distress and offers a sincere apology.
That such a basic expression of mourning and memorialisation is deemed too controversial reveals the extent to which the Israel lobby has succeeded in rendering Palestinian suffering invisible and Palestinian lives disposable. This incident is not isolated but part of a broader trend: the attempted erasure of Palestinian existence and all that sustains Palestinian life.
On August 10, the day prior to the dedication, the Israeli army bombed a prayer hall at the al-Tabin school during morning prayers, resulting in more than 100 deaths. The intensity of the bombing was such that many victims were dismembered beyond recognition. Doctors resorted to collecting body parts in plastic bags, giving families 70 kilos of remains when their loved ones couldn’t be individually identified. This horrific reality is not an aberration; it is the logical conclusion of an ideology that views Palestinian lives as expendable.
As Jews, we carry the weight of a history of erasure and genocide. The MSO recognises this and has an event scheduled in October called “Kaddish: A Holocaust Memorial Concert”, described as promoting “healing and deeper understanding of historical trauma resulting from the Holocaust”. One might ask those running the orchestra if it only cares about genocide victims if the genocide was many decades ago? Or is it simply that the MSO thinks that Jewish lives are grievable while Palestinian lives are not?
Some might argue that the MSO’s decision was made to maintain neutrality. But there is nothing neutral about silencing compassion. There is nothing apolitical about erasing Palestinian humanity. By attempting to avoid controversy, the MSO has instead made a profound political statement — one that aligns with Israel’s agenda of making Palestinians invisible, ungrievable.
Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin once wrote, “Not even the dead will be safe from the enemy, if he is victorious. And this enemy has not ceased to be victorious.” Make no mistake: Zionism in its current form is the kind of enemy Benjamin speaks of — an enemy that aims at the relentless erasure of Palestinian life, history, and memory.
The Israeli state is aiming to systematically obliterate Palestinian existence. It’s not just about occupying land or displacing people; it’s about erasing an entire culture, rewriting history, and silencing voices. In the destruction of Palestinian cities, universities, hospitals, schools, and libraries, Israel seeks to create a world where Palestinians simply do not exist.
The acclaimed Yiddish poet Pinchas Goldhar wrote in a Melbourne Yiddish journal in the mid-1940s how the ideology of Nazi genocide expanded throughout the world: “[t]he Nazis not only enslaved and slaughtered us, but also stigmatised us in such a way, and so discriminated between us and all other peoples and races, that our human values have decreased in the eyes of the world”. We can see the same process playing out today.
Erasure goes beyond the physical. It seeps into global consciousness, shaping narratives where Palestinian deaths are mere statistics, where their cultural contributions are co-opted or dismissed, where their very right to mourn is censored. Where it’s acceptable to say all Palestinian refugees from Gaza should be banned. The cancellation of a pianist’s performance for daring to acknowledge killed journalists in Gaza is just one small example of this process.
Supporting this form of Zionism makes us complicit in a project of dehumanisation that goes against every ethical principle we claim to hold dear. We cannot stay silent as Palestinian existence is erased in the name of Jewish self-determination. Our safety and flourishing cannot come at the expense of another people’s annihilation.
Palestinians will never stop resisting their erasure. Artists and people of conscience the world over such as Jayson Gillham will do what we can to act in solidarity. When Palestinians win their freedom we will be one step closer to a repaired world.
To those who would silence even the most basic expressions of humanity: Your actions are not just misguided; they are complicit in genocide.
What do you make of the MSO’s decision? Let us know your thoughts by writing to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.
