{"id":534772,"date":"2026-07-10T14:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T14:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/534772\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T14:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T14:29:11","slug":"pianist-who-said-idf-targets-reporters-loses-suit-against-melbourne-show-cancelation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/534772\/","title":{"rendered":"Pianist who said IDF targets reporters loses suit against Melbourne show cancelation"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Australian federal court judge on Friday ruled against a classical pianist who alleged he had been unlawfully discriminated against when his show was canceled over an onstage remark about the killing of journalists in Gaza.<\/p>\n

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra canceled a concert by Jayson Gillham in August 2024 after he dedicated a musical piece to \u201cthe journalists of Gaza,\u201d adding a comment about \u201ctargeted assassinations of prominent journalists as they were traveling in marked press vehicles or wearing their press jackets,\u201d days ahead of his scheduled performance.<\/p>\n

Justice Graeme Hill of Melbourne\u2019s Federal Court rejected Gillham\u2019s allegation of \u201cadverse actions\u201d by the MSO, countering that the orchestra sought to \u201caddress the anticipated adverse impacts\u201d of the pianist\u2019s statement by canceling his performance and apologizing for the comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI find that the MSO did have a policy for not expressing support for either side of the Israel-Gaza conflict,\u201d Hill said in his verdict. \u201cI find that there is a custom or practice that classical musicians do not make statements on sensitive political or social issues from the stage without approval of the host.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe political content of Mr. Gillham\u2019s remarks was not a substantial and operative reason for any of the MSO\u2019s actions,\u201d the judge stated.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI find that the MSO would have taken the same actions if Mr. Gillham had expressed a political belief in support of Israel, or if Mr. Gillham had made statements on any other topic that had the same impact or anticipated impact on the MSO\u2019s business and reputation,\u201d Hill noted.<\/p>\n

Australian-British classical pianist Jayson Gillham has been banned from performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra after he made comments about the IDF targeting journalists in Gaza\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last 10 months, Israel has killed more than one hundred Palestinian\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/OYij35xafP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pelham (@Resist_05) August 14, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Gilham\u2019s lawyer, Michael Bradley, said his client was \u201cvery disappointed with the outcome.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll need some time to read the judgment and understand what the outcome is,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In a statement, MSO chair Edgar Myer said he\u00a0\u201cwould like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of our musicians and staff who have continued to deliver brilliant musical experiences, despite the disruption and distraction that came with defending these legal proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n

At his solo performance in 2024, Gillham was on record as saying, \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

After his cancellation, the MSO backflipped and reinvited Gilham to perform, saying they made an \u201cerror.\u201d However, the pianist refused the opportunity, the court heard.<\/p>\n

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 209 journalists have been killed allegedly as a result of Israel\u2019s actions against Hamas there since the terror group\u2019s October 7, 2023, massacre. The IDF denies that it targets journalists.<\/p>\n

Some of the deceased journalists were later shown to have served in terrorist organizations or had significant ties to them.<\/p>\n

Last month, CPJ said it was conducting a full review of its list after a Times of Israel investigation<\/a> found multiple Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives were previously identified as journalists.<\/p>\n


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