The president of a Beverly Hills theater apologized on Saturday for canceling a show by Israeli comedian Guy Hochman following a pressure campaign from anti-Zionist activists.
Michael S. Hall of the Fine Arts Theatre Beverly Hills said in a statement on Jan. 24 that asking the performer to make political declarations was “a mistake” and that the venue “should never have imposed a litmus test of any kind.”
He said his apology was particularly directed at Jewish Californians, taking responsibility for his decision that “caused harm and distress to many people in the community.”
Hall said the theater received many messages, including threats of violence, before the cancellation and now plans to work with local Jewish leaders to restore trust, amid a wave of organized community pushback.
According to the Israeli-American Council, the theater reversed its decision only after the IAC’s Los Angeles chapter became involved, sending more than 200 letters to the venue and meeting with the director to emphasize that artistic freedom must be upheld and that artists should not be subjected to ideological tests.
“Forcing speech litmus tests on Israeli artists absent any misconduct is identity-based discrimination and a violation of artistic freedom,” Tamar Nissim, the IAC’s regional director in Los Angeles, told JNS. “Our community mobilized to defend democratic values and stand against discrimination through thoughtful and resolute civic engagement, including hundreds of letters and direct meetings with venue officials and other stakeholders. We worked to turn a moment rooted in misinformation and exclusion into one of education, dialogue and change.”
Hall later acknowledged the public outcry and community engagement that followed the initial cancellation.
“Under that pressure, I made the decision to cancel the show without giving the matter the careful thought and judgment it required. That was my mistake,” Hall wrote in an Instagram post.
“While I do not necessarily agree with the viewpoints of every performer who appears at the theatre, it was wrong to ask any artist to make political or ideological statements as a condition of appearing. Imposing a litmus test of any kind was a mistake and should never have happened,” the statement continued.
“The Fine Arts Theatre has supported and will continue to support Jewish and Israeli projects, artists, and community events. I am committed to ensuring the theatre remains a place for culture and expression without discrimination,” Hall said.
“I am already engaging with members of the local Jewish community and will continue to listen, learn and work with community leaders moving forward.
“I sent an email to the performer’s representatives and am open to working toward having the performance take place, provided it can be done safely,” Hall said.
The theater earlier said it had banned Hochman after he declined to post a statement disavowing alleged support for violence against Palestinians, prompting criticism from Jewish and pro-Israel voices who called the move discriminatory.
‘Could not find any proof of the accusations’
Hochman, a popular stand-up comic in Israel, was booked for Jan. 27. The theater faced a pressure campaign from anti-Israel activists, leading to its ban, which was later reversed. The original statement contained controversial remarks about genocide, accusations that Jerusalem has previously called an antisemitic blood libel.
“We began receiving complaints about the performer Guy Hochman on Wednesday. We researched online and could not find any proof of the accusations other than from the original accuser,” the original statement said.
“We gave Hochman, through the event promoter, the opportunity to refute the allegations and to release a press release and post on his social media that he did not support the genocide, rape, starvation and torture of Palestinian civilians. He declined to do so. He is now banned from our facility.”
Canadian authorities detained Hochman for six hours at Toronto Pearson International Airport after an anti-Israel organization filed war crimes charges against him in connection with his service in the Israel Defense Forces, Hochman said on Jan. 20.
A scheduled performance by Hochman at New York City’s Broadway Comedy Club on Jan. 20 was canceled after protesters prevented audience members from entering the venue. Hochman said that even though the show was canceled in “Mamdani City,” in reference to anti-Israel New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, he went ahead and performed for his audience outside the venue.
Hochman was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2023 and had one of his testicles removed, a fact that has featured prominently in his stand-up and public appearances. He has also cited it in raising awareness of the importance of early detection of testicular cancer and other forms of the disease.
In Israel, Hochman is best known for his viral videos in which he spoofs political rallies—often, left-wing ones—by conducting on-the-fly, tongue-in-cheek interviews in which he teases his interlocutors.
Hochman, 37, served in the Nahal Infantry Brigade, where he was deployed to Judea and Samaria as well as the border with Gaza. He also served for years in the IDF reserves. After Oct. 7, 2023, he began performing for troops as part of his reserve service.
Hochman (who is not an officer) has declared himself the IDF’s “Chief Smile Officer,” or Ktzin chiuch rashi, a pun on the Hebrew-language title of the Chief Education Officer. The title does not officially exist, but the army has gone along with the joke, sometimes referring to Hochman by his preferred title in official publications and announcements about his shows on military bases.
