The Metropolitan Opera House is pictured at L
The Metropolitan Opera House is pictured at Lרויטרס

Several Jewish groups will be holding a rally at the Lincoln Center in New York later this month in protest of the presentation of “The Death of Klinghoffer” opera.

The Coalition Against the Met Terror Opera (CATO) announced plans for the massive protest to be held at Lincoln Center on Monday evening, September 22, from 4:30-6 P.M., at Broadway and 65th Street in Manhattan, the night of the gala opening of the Metropolitan opera season.

Thousands of protestors will be on hand to raise their voices against the performances of the opera promoting terrorism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Zionism.

“The Metropolitan Opera, led by its director, Peter Gelb, persists in presenting ‘The Death Of Klinghoffer’ this fall, despite the fact that incontrovertible evidence exists in the libretto by Alice Goodman, and in remarks made by Gelb and the composer, John Adams, that the opera supports sympathy for terrorists and hatred for Jews and Israel,” CATO said in a statement.

“The story of the execution of Leon Klinghoffer by PLO terrorists in 1985, on the hi-jacked Achille Lauro, is well known. The handicapped Klinghoffer was selected to be murdered because he was a Jew. The terrorists shot him and threw him overboard in his wheelchair. The story is a frightening one and was an omen of the terrorism that was to come from the PLO that has morphed into ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Fatah and a host of others.”

“After pressure was exerted that acknowledged that the Klinghoffer opera could arouse anti-Semitic, pro-terror demonstrations across Europe and America, Peter Gelb agreed to cancel the HD showings of the opera around the world. However, he apparently believes that NYC can cope with the heinous message despite the fact that 3,000 plus innocent victims of Islamic terror fell on Sept. 11, 2001, and has insisted on performing the opera. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) cut a deal with Gelb which sought to appease Klinghoffer's two daughters with a small insertion into the playbill, and they were misled, with insufficient facts, to allow the opera. Our coalition strongly disagrees with permitting the opera to run and we argue there can be zero tolerance for terrorists,” said the CATO statement.

The Coalition Against Terror Opera (CATO) is made up of AFSI, AMCHA, CIPAC, COPMA, HRCARI, JAA, JCC Watch, Mothers Against Terrorism, OZ, Stand With Us, Strength to Strength, Westchester HS,  ZOA, International Committee for the Land of Israel, the Jewish Political Education Foundation (JPEF), and the Catholic League, with many other organizations signing on every day. The Rambam Mesivta H.S., led by Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Shalhevet HS for Girls, and the Westchester Day School have spearheaded the effort to bring students to the protest.

An impressive roster of speakers for the rally is in formation, including victims of terrorism, first responders, rabbis, pastors, educators, and public servants.

“All concerned citizens are urged to participate. We must adhere to the admonition not to stand idly by the blood of our brothers. This is an opportunity for everyone to act ourselves and to teach our children that we will not be silent, as were too many American Jews in the 1930s. Never again!” the statement said.