A Rare Act of Cultural Herosim

They Tried to Silence Them - The Israel Philharmonic Answered with Hope

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performing Hatikva, Philharmonie de Paris, 6/11/25

Last night in Paris, during the Israel Philharmonic’s concert at the Philharmonie, hatred walked into the concert hall—anti-Israel “protestors,” or rather more appropriately: barbarians. Lit flares, hurled smoke, and tried to drown out beauty with chaos. They came to destroy, not to protest. They came to silence.

And yet, in the face of that darkness, something magnificent happened.

The orchestra returned to the stage. They performed Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony as programmed initially, a work about struggle and triumph, and then, without any announcement, they stood and played Hatikva.

That was not on the program.
That was a moral statement.
It was an act of cultural heroism.

While the West trembles and apologises, the Israel Philharmonic marched on, carrying the banner of civilisation itself. They came to remind the world what we fight for: beauty, the spirit of man, hope. They did not play politics; they played truth.

In this age of barbarism disguised as “protest,” the Israel Philharmonic has done what no politician could: they have shown moral clarity.
Where there was fire, they brought harmony.
Where there was hate, they brought the anthem of hope.

They did not retreat.
They rose.
And in that moment, when Hatikva filled the air of Paris, they became what I have called cultural heroes.

You must watch that moment here on YouTube.

Read my essay “Where Are Our Cultural Heroes?”, and you’ll see why this moment matters more than it may seem. Culture is the front line.

Maestro Lahav Shani, the Israel Philharmonic,

Thank you!
You have played for the entire free world.

Thank you for bringing hope to us all,
In a time when it's so desperately needed.

I salute you all.

Safe travels back home.

---

If you enjoyed Philosophy: I Need It, and want to see more, you can support my work by buying me a coffee. Every contribution makes a real difference. Thank you!