“I need not apologize for having played to concentration camp audiences or under the auspices of the American authorities in Germany,” world famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin declared here today. He added that he might play again in Germany if his concerts were sponsored by Americans.
Mr. Menuhin made these statements at a press conference, following his arrival yesterday from a short visit to Israel. The violinist, who plans to revisit the Jewish state next February, denied reports that he had been boycotted during his recent visit in Israel. He attributed the reports to unfriendly “snall cliques” in the United States.
Such reports did a “great injustice to Israel,” Mr. Menuhin said. He called Israel the “most open-minded and unprejudiced country in the world.” He emphasized that he was not boycotted by government officials, nor were there demonstrations against him because he had performed at concerts in post-war Germany. He also denied that at the request of his sister, equally well-known pianist Hebzibah, he had apologized for having played in Germany.
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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.
