Theatre reverses cancellation and apologises to Israeli comedian

“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,” he 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 theatre 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.

Hochman, a popular stand-up comic in Israel, was booked for Tuesday, and the theatre faced a pressure campaign from anti-Israel activists, leading to his ban that 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 organisation filed war crimes charges against him in connection with his service in the Israel Defense Forces, Hochman said on January 20.

A scheduled performance by Hochman at New York City’s Broadway Comedy Club on Jan. 20 was cancelled after protesters prevented audience members from entering the venue. Hochman said that even though the show was cancelled in “Mamdani city,” in reference to anti-Israel NYC 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.