Omid Djalili cancels Shropshire show due to ‘security threats’ following comments on Israel-Gaza conflict
According to reports, Omid Djalili abruptly canceled a job because of threats he received over his safety during the Israel-Gaza conflict.
As part of his Good Times tour, the 58-year-old comedian and actor is presently visiting the UK and has been commenting on social media about the conflict.
Djalili was due to appear at the Festival Drayton Centre in West Drayton, Shropshire, on Thursday, October 19. However, due to the star's safety worries, the show was canceled hours before it was supposed to premiere.
Customers were notified via a post on the venue's Facebook page that the event had been canceled "due to circumstances beyond our control."
"Tonight's performance at the Festival Drayton Centre has had to be cancelled due to security threats made against Omid Djalili," said Jodie Rudd, centre manager, in an interview with the Shropshire Star.
"We're making every effort to get in touch with our customers."
The Independent has reached out to an Omid Djalili spokesperson for a response. According to West Mercia Police, there have been no reports of any threats made against the comedian.
Iranian-born Djalili has expressed his strong support for an end to hostilities between the two regions.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, sparking the most recent wave of bloodshed in the area. Israel claims that 1,400 of its residents were murdered during the raid over the weekend. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 3,785 Palestinians had died as a result of Israeli strikes as of this Thursday, October 19. These strikes began on October 7.
Wednesday, October 18, saw Djalili post on X, the previous Twitter platform, stating that the fight had entered "utterly unprecedented territory" and demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities.
He wrote, "As humans, the only thing we can do right now is demand an immediate ceasefire." At this point, there is practically nothing else to say or do. Any conjecture about who is to blame based on this "report" or that "report" will only serve to fan the flames that will soon consume the entire planet.
"Everyone who has followed the #IsraelPalestineConflict for as long as we have been alive has assessed this."
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, who is Jewish, stated earlier this week that her touring production of The Merchant of Venice 1936 now has extra protection. The play, which is an adaption of Shakespeare's tragedy from 1598, addresses antisemitism and stars Oberman as a Jewish businesswoman who makes a risky loan to a merchant.
"We're on a 10-week tour and I've been moved beyond words at the reactions of audiences and critics," Oberman stated in the most current edition of The Spectator. However, the production has needed security personnel to monitor the area for the past week. It resembles a dystopian horror film.