The Royal Ballet and Opera has pulled its “Tosca” production from the Israeli National Opera’s 2026 season in Tel Aviv.

The news comes following internal pressure from its staff, and the decision was communicated to Royal Ballet and Opera employees on Aug. 1.

In a statement, Alex Beard, chief executive of the Royal Ballet and Opera, said, “We have made the decision that our new production of ‘Tosca’ will not be going to Israel.”

The news comes after an open letter signed by 182 Royal Ballet and Opera employees, including dancers, musicians, singers, and staff from artistic, technical, and administrative departments, “condemning the organization’s silence on Israel’s genocidal conduct, which has killed over 60,000 Palestinians.”

The letter read, “We reject any current or future performances in Israel” and demanded that the company “withhold our productions from institutions that legitimize and economically support a state engaged in the mass killing of civilians.”

It also expressed solidarity with a performer who raised the Palestinian flag on stage in what they described as “an act of courage and moral clarity on our very stage.”

The news comes weeks after the Royal Opera House saw a cast member of “Il Trovatore” unfurl a Palestinian flag on stage during the curtain call. The video, which went viral, showed a brief scuffle between the artist and Oliver Mears, who tried to take the flag away from the cast member.

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