NZ conductor withdraws from Israel concerts citing travel advisories — PSNA claims a BDS ‘victory’

New Zealand conductor Gemma New has withdrawn from her scheduled appearance with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) in January 2026, citing official travel advisories.

The announcement was made through her New York–based agency, Primo Artists, in response to a letter from the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).

In a statement sent to PSNA, Primo Artists wrote:

“Due to the current travel advisories from the United States to Israel, Ms. New has withdrawn from the engagement you reference. Her name may still appear on the orchestra’s website until such time as the institution appoints a replacement conductor, which is at their discretion and not within our control. Her decision reflects official travel guidance and her responsibility to adhere to those parameters. She is a musician whose role is to make music and to travel in line with the advice of the relevant authorities. We kindly ask that you not write further or engage with us or in any public forum on this matter.”

Despite the clear explanation, PSNA has hailed New’s withdrawal as a political statement, calling it a “win for the BDS movement.” In a press release, PSNA co-chair Maher Nazzal said:

“We congratulate Ms New on her withdrawal from the concert series in apartheid Israel… After 23 months of mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza she has reconsidered her decision to go and we welcome that.”

PSNA went further, dismissing the official explanation as “public relations spin” and insisting that any performance in Israel is a form of complicity in “Israeli war crimes.” The group frequently links cultural and artistic events in Israel to state policy, claiming that “music and performance in the apartheid state is tightly linked to the brutal oppression of Palestinians.”

In its release, PSNA also accused the Israeli Philharmonic of collaborating with the military, pointing to a video of IPO musicians performing for Israeli soldiers as proof of its role in what they call “normalising oppression.”

The organisation has a track record of recasting neutral or non-political decisions as boycott victories, regardless of the actual reasons given. In this case, New’s agency stated clearly that her decision was guided by official U.S. travel advisories, not political alignment.

New, who is currently Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and enjoys an international conducting career, has not made any public statement beyond the official agency response.

The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1936 by Polish violinist Bronisław Huberman, has long been a cultural bridge between Israel and the wider world. The IPO is known for collaborations with world-class artists and has continued to perform despite political campaigns seeking to isolate it.

The concerts in Israel remain listed on the IPO’s website until a replacement conductor is confirmed.