US actor pulls out of theatre show in Israel over misleading PR claim

John Malkovich has cancelled his upcoming performance of the musical play The Music Critic in Tel Aviv, which was scheduled for 13 April.
The 72-year-old actor pulled out after an Israeli PR agency published a fabricated quote attributing feelings of “strong closeness and solidarity” with the local audience to him.
Malkovich described the unauthorised statement as “unacceptable and untenable”, stating that performing in a country does not signal approval of its policies or political causes.
Show producer Alon Yurick apologised for the error, attributing the fake quote to a misunderstanding, while The Jerusalem Post subsequently removed the text.
The planned event would have been a rare performance by a prominent international artist in Israel amid ongoing cultural boycotts over the conflict in the region.