President Chaim Herzog won high marks in Orthodox religious circles for his intervention with the management of a Haifa theater for the deletion of certain Tines from a play that offended religious sensibilities.
But he was taken sharply to ask by writers, academics and the media for allegedly abetting religious censorship. None of the rabbis or other Orthodox spokesmen who were praising Herzog had seen or read the play, “The Messiah Affair”, by British playwright Martin Sherman. The work deals with the 17th century false messiah, Shabtai Zvi.
The line removed from the play had a disillusioned follower of Shabtai Zvi curse God. But another line, in which a character denies the existence of God, was left intact.
Aharon Megged, chairman of the Israel branch of the PEN Club, the international association of authors and writers, sent a telegram to Herzog denouncing his interference and accused him of supporting elements who seek to restrict freedom of expression.
Herzog used the occasion of a meeting with the foreign press corps to reply. He said he had intervened only after establishing that both sides in the controversy wanted him to. He said the management of the theater, which is owned by the Haifa municipality can now say they did not bow to “religious blackmail” but were simply responding to a request by the President to avoid polarization in the community.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
