James Tobin writes:

>Looks like the committee is with the minority.  I hope it will
>not be unforgiveable to say that when I read this I was reminded of
>the--admittedly more extreme--occasion when Bruno Walter (who also
>performed Wagner) withdrew from a scheduled concert in Berlin when
>brownshirts threatened to wreck the hall if he conducted.  Does the
>Israeli Knesset have the power of the purse over the cultural bodies
>to whom the committee made this demand?

People who perform and/or listen to classical music do so with their
"hearts", and the matter is an emotional rather than being logical or
controlled by monetary consideration.  Emotions should and in fact run very
high in this matter and may possibly do so forever.  A so-called reasoned
reaction to the performance of Wagner in public arenas just might never
occur.

Norman Schwartz