The Bataclan theater, one of the sites targeted during Friday night's horrific attacks in Paris, was under Jewish ownership for four decades and had received frequent threats in the past for that reason. Sold only two months ago by co-owners Pascal Laloux and Joel Tuitto, the venue is still under their responsibility, according to a Channel 2 report. "One of the managers called me and began to tell me about the disaster that was taking place," Tuitto, who recently moved to Israel, told Channel 2. "I could hear the gunshots and the voices in the background. "The terrorists were inside the theater, and I heard the gunshots, but I couldn't do anything." He went on to say that he had co-owned the Bataclan since the 1970s, adding that, according to the terms of the sale, he remains responsible for it until September 2018. "It will take three days for specialists to clean the theater -- there is blood everywhere," he said. "I have no words." The French magazine Le Point reported that in 2011, a terrorist group member told French security services that "we [the Army of Islam terrorist group] had planned an attack against the Bataclan because its owners are Jews." The Bataclan, which regularly hosted Jewish and Israeli events, also received serious threats in 2007 and 2008. Tuitto said a group of masked Palestinians had even come to the venue two years ago demanding its closure due to its "fundraising for Israel and the IDF," and warning of an attack if their demand was not met, but nothing came of the threat. The band playing at the Bataclan the night of the brutal attack, Eagles of Death Metal, played a concert in Tel Aviv this past summer. Led by its two permanent members -- Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, the latter of Queens of the Stone Age fame -- the band had rejected calls from musician Roger Waters to cancel their gig in Israel and join the cultural boycott movement. In the chaos that followed the terrorist attack, the band members managed to escape through the venue's back door, making it to safety. Meanwhile, following the attacks, Irish rock band U2 canceled a Paris concert that was to be aired on live television on Saturday. The band also canceled a show planned for Sunday. Both concerts were sold out. Alternative rockers Foo Fighters also canceled the remainder of their European tour, including two concert dates in France.
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Paris concert hall 'received threats over Jewish ownership'
The recently sold Bataclan theater was under Jewish ownership for 40 years, frequently hosting Jewish and Israeli events • Eagles of Death Metal, who played Friday night's concert, performed in Tel Aviv this past summer, rejecting boycott calls.