John Malkovich has canceled a planned 2027 performance in Israel after a press release falsely attributed quotes to him expressing enthusiasm about the trip. The actor was scheduled to appear in The Music Critic, a satirical theatrical-musical piece created by Russian-German violinist and composer Aleksey Igudesman, on April 13 at Tel Aviv's Charles Bronfman Auditorium, one stop on a broader European and Middle East tour of the production, which Malkovich has performed in roughly 47 countries over nearly two decades.
According to Malkovich, he only learned of the Tel Aviv date after seeing coverage of it in The Hollywood Reporter, which had first been reported by The Jerusalem Post. A September 5 press release, sent out by a PR company hired by the Israeli promoter, quoted him saying he was "thrilled to return to Israel" and looking "forward to meeting the warm Israeli audience once again, to whom I feel a strong closeness and solidarity." Malkovich said in a statement that he never made those remarks and was never consulted before they were published. "A PR company hired by the Israeli promoter drafted a quote for the article that was attributed to me, though I never made the statements that were quoted, nor was I consulted before they were printed." As a result, he said, "I have decided I cannot participate in the Tel Aviv performance." Malkovich was careful to clarify that his decision wasn't meant as commentary on Israel specifically, emphasising that performing anywhere doesn't equate to endorsing a country's government or policies. "My appearance in any country, even my own, does not constitute approval of said country's policies, nor actions, nor its elected or unelected leaders," he said.
"My appearances would also not condone nor mean that I am in supposed 'solidarity' with any particular political cause, nor with the killing of innocents, nor with any acts of terrorism, nor any other kind of barbarity." The Jerusalem Post has since updated its original story, appending an editor's note stating that the incorrectly attributed quote was removed once the error was confirmed. The outlet also issued an apology to Malkovich's representatives over the mistake. This isn't Malkovich's first visit to Israel, he attended the Jerusalem Film Festival as a guest of honour in 2008, and returned in 2013 for a stage performance of The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer at both the Eilat International Chamber Music Festival and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.