Gilad Atzmon is a prolific saxophonist - and anti-Semite
Gilad Atzmon is a prolific saxophonist - and anti-SemiteThinkstock (illustrativE)

An anti-Semitic Israeli jazz player who describes himself as an "ex-Jew" has seen one of his performances cancelled in the UK, after residents complained over his history of anti-Semitism.

Gilad Atzmon - whose virulently unabashed exhibitions of anti-Semitism have seen him appear alongside open anti-Semites to rail about the evils of "Jewish culture and identity" and "Jewish world domination" - was due to perform at a venue in Nottingham, northern England, as part of his band's nationwide tour.

But when the local council which runs the venue received a letter from 13 locals highlighting comments by Atzmon including "it is always Jewish bad be‎havior that brings disaster on the Jews," and "Nuremberg was a fake tribunal, Israel deserves a real one," the decision was made to cancel the show, according to the Nottingham Post.

"The council looked into the concerns raised by local residents and shared their view," Gedling Borough Council released in an official statement.

"Whilst recognizing and valuing the importance of free speech, the council has a legal responsibility to build and maintain good community relations, including between people of different races and religions.

"The council considered that allowing Gilad Atzmon’s performance to take place at a council venue would be inconsistent with this responsibility."

The 51-year-old saxophonist, who today lives in the UK, said he didn't think the decision to cancel him was "fair."

"I don’t know what to make out of it. I don’t care if people oppose my writing but my music has nothing to do with it. I think it’s unfair.

"My performance in Nottingham was not advertised as a political talk. It was just a musical performance," he told the Post.

Despite that claim, Atzmon's public performances often feature anti-Israel and even anti-Semitic monologues and statements.

Despite being born Jewish and Israeli, Atzmon claims to have totally rejected his Jewish identity, and has described himself as a "proud self-hating Jew" who hates "almost everything that fails to be Aryan masculinity."

Atzmon recently presented some of his views in a TV show with notorious anti-Israel British MP George Galloway on Russian state TV.