A concert by the Jerusalem Quartet sparked high tension in Alicante on Monday, with police drafted in around the Teatro Principal as more than 100 protesters gathered to denounce the Israeli group’s performance.
The strong police deployment was ordered to keep order, prevent clashes and guarantee access to the theatre as demonstrators massed outside in a show of opposition to the recital.
The concert had already been plunged into controversy after more than 50 local social organisations demanded its cancellation in a public appeal.
Leading the backlash was the BDS-PV Alacant and Comarcas del Sur platform, which accused the quartet of having links to institutions of the State of Israel and called for the event to be scrapped.
According to the BDS movement, the Jerusalem Quartet “regularly tours as part of initiatives funded, sponsored or organised by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions.” Protest organisers said this amounted to using culture as a vehicle for international political messaging.
Despite the uproar, the performance went ahead as part of the Alicante Concert Society’s 2025/2026 season, which features a roster of international classical music ensembles.
