Several German voices are upset about the decision of the Ghent Festival of Flanders to cancel a concert by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra was due to perform next week conducted by its future chief conductor, the Israeli Lahav Shani, who is also chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The German culture minister has called the decision ‘sheer anti-Semitism’. Flemish PM Matthias Diependaele (Flemish nationalist N-VA) has called the cancellation ‘rash’, while Flemish culture minister Caroline Gennez (Flemish socialist Vooruit) supports the festival's decision.
The German orchestra Münchner Philharmoniker was scheduled to perform in Ghent on 18 September conducted by its future chief conductor, Israeli Lahav Shani. The performance was to be ‘one of the artistic highlights’ of the festival.
However, the organisers of the Ghent Festival of Flanders have now decided that the concert will not go ahead. According to a statement from the festival, the decision was made ‘out of a deep conviction that music should be a source of connection and reconciliation’.
German culture minister Wolfram Weimer is said to be outraged. He claims a cultural boycott of Israel is underway ‘under the guise of alleged criticism of Israel': ‘This is pure anti-Semitism and an attack on the foundations of our culture. If it becomes acceptable collectively to exclude German orchestras and Jewish artists, a red line has been crossed.’
Diependaele: ‘Rash and ill-considered decision’
Flemish PM Matthias Diependaele also regrets the decision. ‘The essential purpose of art and culture is to connect people. They should build bridges. The cultural sector cannot simply equate artists with the serious actions of certain people in power on the basis of their nationality or origin.’
"The decision by the Ghent Festival of Flanders is rash and ill-considered. It imports a foreign conflict and, in this specific case, also the polarisation surrounding it. I can understand to some extent that the organisation wanted to send out a signal, but there are plenty of other ways to respond to this atrocity. Such a response or signal should never be at the expense of an individual, in this case an internationally renowned conductor, purely on the basis of his origin. This is a path that we, as a democratic and modern society, should not take."
Flemish culture minister Caroline Gennez supports the festival: ‘The Flemish and Belgian governments have acted responsibly and have sent out a strong signal against the horror in Gaza. I have called on the cultural sector to do the same,’ she told VRT.
‘This can be done by critically examining the workings of their institutions and no longer collaborating with partners and companies that refuse unequivocally to distance themselves from the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv. How the cultural sector goes about this is their choice and their artistic freedom.
by christoffeldg
13 comments
So he was cancelled because he was Israeli? Sorry, but that is not OK.
Russia was not allowed to compete, but Russian athletes were allowed. This man didn’t even claim to be a supporter of the crimes committed by Israel.
You should never ban people on the basis of their nationality or race. There’s a word for that.
Too bad Germany didn’t learn the correct lessons from WW2. Once again supporting a genocide.
Not surprised. Antisemitism is huge in Belgium.
ffs just report “Ghent festival cancels concert with israeli conductor because so and so” instead of copying the hln business model of “Heisa over X”, “Y haalt keihard uit naar Z”, “Z bijt van zich af na kritiek” and “Na de rel: HLN sprak met Y en Z”.
Have to say I agree with NVA here (barfed in my mouth just a little bit), cancelling a performance of an orchestra solely on the basis of its leader being Israeli (note that I can’t find any political viewpoints of the man online) is outright ridiculous.
Calling it antisemitism is also bullshit since his religion has nothing to do with it obviously but it’s the wrong decision nonetheless.
Who gives a fuck what he thinks.
Somehow they all forgot the mention the guy is also the conductor of the israeli national orchestra?
It’s not about him being Israeli, it’s about him being part of the israeli propaganda machine and not taking any distance from it.
Same like giving a stage to the director of the russion national orchestra?
Ghent Festival absolutely made the right call here. (Also, maybe kind of stupid to book it in the first place…)
Imagine excluding a Palestinian from a cultural event because he is Palestinian and it’s not clear enough if he is against Hamas…People would lose their minds and go crazy.
Man the Germans are going crazy these days. Massive amounts of police brutality as well. Crazy times.
I have never felt less represented by a PM ever than with Bart De Wever. The blatant hypocrisy he has shown now and in the past with regards to the Israel-Palestine conflict is such a shameful display. He turns a blind eye to anything Israel does, but yet scrutinizes every action to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
When a person with clear ties to Israel gets rejected, it’s a “shame for the reputation of Flanders and Belgium”.
However, when it’s a person who has shown support for the Palestinian people, in that case it’s not a problem for his party.
District Antwerpen weert dj-duo na uitroep ‘Free Palestine’ op feest, oppositie reageert geschokt: “Is Pommelien Thijs dan ook niet meer welkom?”
https://www.hln.be/antwerpen/district-antwerpen-weert-dj-duo-na-uitroep-free-palestine-op-feest-oppositie-reageert-geschokt-is-pommelien-thijs-dan-ook-niet-meer-welkom~aabf0433d/
Or the fact that he has said that the recent discussion within the federal government about the sanctioning of Israel and a possible recognition of the Palestinian state were driven by emotions as opposed to rational thinking. While clearly showing his sympathies towards Ukraine against the Russian aggressor.
Strange how this exact thing happened with Valerij Gergiev, an orchestra director very close to Putin, in Italy and it was also endorsed in Germany by the very same Munich Philarmonic Orchestra but now it’s not OK anymore.
[https://theviolinchannel.com/italian-ministry-of-culture-withdraws-valery-gergiev-concert-appearance-following-backlash/](https://theviolinchannel.com/italian-ministry-of-culture-withdraws-valery-gergiev-concert-appearance-following-backlash/)
[https://www.reuters.com/world/italy-faces-calls-cancel-concert-led-by-pro-putin-conductor-2025-07-15/](https://www.reuters.com/world/italy-faces-calls-cancel-concert-led-by-pro-putin-conductor-2025-07-15/)
Belgians being some of Europe’s most rabid antisemites posturing as antizionists exhibit 1386775.
The move now is to call German culture minister Wolfram Weimer “a genocide supporting islamophobe”.
It’s not constructive, but this clearly isn’t a discussion in good faith.
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