By: Fern Sidman

The Algemeiner reported on Monday on a deeply troubling incident in Warsaw, where internationally acclaimed Israeli singer, songwriter, and composer David D’Or was assaulted with red paint during a performance that was meant to celebrate Jewish culture, not inflame political divisions. The attack, which occurred on Sunday night at the Singer’s Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture, has been widely condemned as another disturbing sign of how anti-Israel agitation increasingly spills into cultural spaces, targeting Jewish artists and events in Europe.

The disruption unfolded as D’Or was performing the solemn Hebrew prayer “Avinu Malkeinu” (“Our Father, Our King”), a liturgical plea for forgiveness, mercy, and peace. According to accounts published in The Algemeiner, an anti-Israel activist in the audience suddenly rushed forward and hurled red paint on D’Or, drenching his clothing, face, and even staining the stage where musicians of the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra were performing alongside him.

The protester’s act of violence stunned the audience, already tense in a climate of surging antisemitism across Europe since the Hamas-led massacres of October 7, 2023. As the man was dragged away by security personnel, a second demonstrator appeared with a Palestinian flag, attempting to storm the stage while shouting slogans reportedly including “Free Palestine.” He too was removed swiftly, though not before terrifying those present.

D’Or himself later described the harrowing moment in a heartfelt Instagram post, written in Hebrew and translated in The Algemeiner report.

“In the middle of the prayer ‘Our Father, Our King,’ as I was praying for a good year and peace in the world, I closed my eyes. Suddenly, I felt a cold splash on my face. When I opened my eyes, I saw a strong red color, similar to blood,” he wrote.

The sight triggered for D’Or agonizing memories of October 7, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people in kibbutzim, towns, and at the Nova music festival, while abducting more than 250 hostages into Gaza. “The stains reminded me of the horror sights of October 7th,” D’Or explained.

His post captured the profound sense of shock among the audience as they witnessed what they believed was symbolic blood being hurled onstage. “In the stunned crowd a sound of horror and crying began. I realized I must pick myself up and encourage them. I continued to sing and asked everyone to close their eyes and pray for the people of Israel,” he added.

The Algemeiner report emphasized that D’Or’s resilience in the face of such hostility struck a chord with many attendees, who later joined him in song, turning what could have been a night defined by hate into one of defiant solidarity.

The incident came during the finale concert of the 22nd edition of the Singer’s Warsaw Festival of Jewish Culture, an event that has long served as a celebration of Jewish history, music, and resilience in a city still haunted by the destruction of its once-vibrant Jewish community during the Holocaust.

According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, D’Or’s concert was staged in the Moniuszko Auditorium and intended to serve as both an artistic showcase and a spiritual reminder of the enduring strength of Jewish tradition. Instead, the evening was marred by anti-Israel agitators who sought to inject Middle Eastern politics into what should have been a moment of cultural reverence and remembrance.

For many observers, the symbolism of the assault was chilling. Red paint, evoking blood, thrown on a Jewish singer performing a prayer for peace, was seen as a grotesque echo of longstanding antisemitic tropes that seek to conflate Jewish identity with violence.

That such an attack could be directed at David D’Or underscored for many the pervasive nature of anti-Israel sentiment morphing into outright antisemitism. D’Or is one of Israel’s most distinguished and internationally recognized performers, with a career spanning more than 35 years.

He has performed with leading philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including those of Vienna, London, Rome, Moscow, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Israel itself. His voice has been celebrated across continents, and he has released 17 gold and platinum albums.

The Algemeiner report noted that his career has also been marked by landmark performances before world leaders and international institutions. D’Or sang at the United Nations, performed before former  Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and gave concerts at the Vatican no fewer than six times. He also maintained a close relationship with the late Israeli President Shimon Peres, who personally requested that D’Or sing at his state funeral.

To target an artist of his stature, in such a violent and humiliating way, was seen as an attack not only on him personally but on Israeli cultural expression itself.

Reactions to the incident have been swift and forceful. Jewish leaders and organizations have called it symptomatic of a broader climate in which anti-Israel protests are metastasizing into attacks on Jewish individuals and institutions far removed from the battlefield.

The Algemeiner report highlighted commentary that underscored the broader stakes. What happened to D’Or in Warsaw is not an isolated act of protest but part of an alarming trend where cultural, academic, and even religious forums are being disrupted by individuals intent on silencing Jewish voices.

“This was not merely an interruption of a concert,” one observer told The Algemeiner. “It was a calculated attempt to shame and intimidate an artist because of his identity and his connection to Israel.”

The European Jewish Congress and local Polish Jewish leaders have called for Polish authorities to investigate the matter rigorously and ensure that cultural events celebrating Jewish life can proceed without fear of harassment or violence.

The symbolism of the attack in Warsaw cannot be divorced from history. The city’s Jewish population, once one of the largest in Europe, was virtually annihilated during the Holocaust. For a Jewish singer to be attacked during a prayer at a Jewish cultural festival in Warsaw is a bitter reminder of the deep wounds that remain in Europe regarding antisemitism.

The Algemeiner report noted that while Poland has made strides in commemorating its Jewish heritage, such incidents illustrate the fragility of Jewish cultural expression in the face of contemporary hostility.

The attack on David D’Or also sits within a broader global pattern of anti-Israel activism escalating into intimidation and violence. Since October 7, 2023, demonstrations across Europe and North America have often crossed the line from criticism of Israeli policy into open antisemitism, targeting Jewish-owned businesses, restaurants, and even private individuals.

The Algemeiner has documented numerous cases in which Jewish cultural events were disrupted by anti-Israel protesters, some brandishing Palestinian flags, others using red paint to symbolize blood. These tactics, many argue, are designed not to foster debate but to terrorize Jewish communities and isolate them socially and culturally.

In the end, however, David D’Or’s response may have been the most powerful condemnation of all. By continuing to sing after being assaulted, and by inviting his audience to join him in prayer, he turned a moment of desecration into one of resilience.

The Algemeiner report quoted his own words of reflection: “At the end of the show the audience sang along with me and we came out strong … What terrible days, may God have mercy. Praying for better days.”

For many, that act of continuing to sing through humiliation and fear embodied the spirit of Jewish endurance itself — an insistence on preserving life, faith, and beauty even in the face of hatred.

The incident in Warsaw was not simply an assault on an individual artist. It was an attack on the freedom of Jewish expression, on the celebration of Jewish culture, and on the hope that art might transcend politics.

As The Algemeiner report observed, the deeper danger lies in the normalization of such attacks — when throwing paint on a Jewish singer or waving a flag during a sacred prayer is excused as mere protest. Unless confronted decisively, these acts risk becoming part of the fabric of antisemitic intimidation spreading across Europe and beyond.

For now, though, the image that remains is of David D’Or, his face streaked with red paint, continuing to sing “Avinu Malkeinu” — a prayer for mercy and peace — while his audience, shaken but united, joined their voices with his.

It was a moment of violence, yes, but also one of defiance. And for those who cherish Jewish culture, it was a reminder that song, even when stained with hatred, still carries the power to uplift and endure.