John Malkovich cancels Israel performance, cites unauthorized quote

American actor John Malkovich has canceled a planned performance in Israel after promoters disseminated a quote attributed to him that he claimed was entirely false. The producer of the show accepted responsibility, attributing the error to "human error." Israel has experienced a decline in cultural engagement in recent years due to the conflict in Gaza, settler violence, and the ongoing military occupation of the West Bank.

Various international artists have declined to perform in Israel, and the Israel Festival, a yearly cultural event, took place without any international acts this year.

Malkovich was scheduled to perform "The Music Critic," a comedy showcasing classical music and critiques of renowned composers, in Tel Aviv in April. A press release published in Israeli and U.S. media outlets quoted Malkovich as saying, "I am thrilled to return to Israel and am looking forward to meeting the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong closeness and solidarity."

The quote was published in multiple media sources. However, Malkovich informed The Hollywood Reporter that he never made those statements nor was consulted before they were printed. He stated, "I did not utter these phrases, and they most certainly are not approved by me, nor do they reflect my feelings." Consequently, Malkovich decided he could not participate in the Tel Aviv performance.

Alon Yurik, the Israeli producer of the show, revealed in a statement that the quote was inaccurately linked to Malkovich due to "human error." He claimed the production had reached out to media outlets to remove the quote and rectify the reports, and had issued an apology. Yurik expressed regret that the situation escalated to the point of the performance being canceled.

Malkovich has previously performed in Israel and emphasized that participating in a country does not imply agreement with its political leaders or their policies. The renowned actor is a two-time Academy Award nominee, with film credits such as "Dangerous Liaisons," "In the Line of Fire," and "Con Air." He portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in "Being John Malkovich" in 1999, where a struggling puppeteer, played by John Cusack, encounters a portal to the actor's mind.

Malkovich co-stars alongside Sam Rockwell in the film "Wild Horse Nine," which delves into the CIA's involvement in the 1973 military coup in Chile.