The audience, in a sign of approval, shouted a medieval Croatian battle-cry (mostly known from Ivan Zajc's opera "Nikola Šubić Zrinski" and today used mostly to boost morale at soccer matches), "U boj, u boj – za narod svoj!" (). In anticipation of a New Year's Eve tour in Australia and New Zealand, Perković released an interview with the local Croatian community magazine, "Hrvatski Vjesnik", a translation of which was published in the "New Generation" English language supplement, in which he stated that the vast majority of Croats (including himself) do not have negative feelings towards Jewish people or their religion, and expressed sympathy after the recent controversy with the Simon Wiesenthal Center. However, based on his tumultuous history, which includes many incendiary and hateful remarks towards Serbs and other ethnic groups, coupled with his seeming support for Ustaše movements, this retort was widely believed to be nothing more than politically correct posturing.