Current sectionArt & CultureShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeCredit: Moti Milrod, Shekel, Mondadori via Getty ImagesA discussion with the Israeli Opera's music director turns to Wagner, a rapper returns to his Iranian roots and a documentary film festival shows Israel through the eyes of PasoliniAvshalom Halutz11:38 AM • May 14 2026 IDTOn my way to interview maestro Dan Ettinger, music director of the Israeli Opera, I found myself reaching for a dusty old CD that had been peeling away in my car. I had been reading Claire Dederer's "Monsters: What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People?" which may explain why that CD suddenly felt less like an object and more like an accusation.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Music in IsraelIsraeli cultureCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesIraq-IsraelNetanyahu-Oct. 7Pizza Hut killingHezbollah DronesJonny GreenwoodHaQuizHaaretz Podcast'There Is an Enormous Desire to Play Wagner in Israel''Auschwitz Is Only Sleeping': What Ceija Stojka's Art Told Me About GazaNorwegian Court Rules Festival Discriminated Against Disinvited Israeli Artist'Clearly, I'm an anti-Zionist': Play on IDF by Israeli-Canadian Sparks DebateIsrael Advances to Eurovision Finals Defying Boos and Intense Boycott CallsRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIWhatsApp Co-founder Donates Record-breaking $200 Million to Jerusalem HospitalThe Mysterious Copper Scroll and the End of DaysThe Hasidic Jews Behind Florida's Giant Golden Trump StatueLeaked Video of Arab Lawyer's Violent Arrest Contradicts Israel Police Account'A Slave Economy': Inside Israel's ultra-Orthodox Parallel StateIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in Gaza