At BBC Proms, an Israeli conductor calls for action against Israel

After a concert of Gabrieli, Stravinsky and Brahms’ second symphony, the conductor Ilan Volkov read out a short personal message to the audience.

Thank you all for sharing this amazing music together. It’s a real privilege to be here every year with my friends, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

In my heart there is great pain now, every day for months. I come from Israel and live there. I love it, it’s my home but whats happening is atrocious and horrific in a scale thats unimaginable. I know that many of us feel completely helpless in front of it. Innocent Palestinians being killed in thousands, displaced again and again,without hospitals and schools, not knowing when’s the next meal. Israeli hostages are kept in terrible conditions for almost 2 years and political prisoners are languishing in Israeli jails.

Israelis-Jews and Palestinians won’t be able to stop this alone.I ask you all to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness. Every little action counts while governments hesitate and wait.We cannot let this go on any longer,every moment that passes puts the safety of millions in risk.
Thank you.

The BBC was not made aware that he planned to deliver a political statement.

Volkov went on to give an interview to Jessica Duchen for the Times website.

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