"The organizers of the Flanders Festival Ghent were open about why they decided to cancel a planned concert by the Munich Philharmonic: The reason, they said, was that its Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani, had not sufficiently distanced himself from the actions of Israel's government. By cancelling the event, the organizers claim they wanted "to maintain the serenity of our festival," and state that it is their "deepest conviction that music should be a source of connection and reconciliation.""
"Many German politicians and antisemitism experts have swiftly condemned the music festival's decision. Germany's Federal Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, called the move "a dangerous precedent," describing it as "pure antisemitism and an attack on the fundamentals of our culture." The German Commissioner for Antisemitism, Felix Klein, also sharply criticized the decision, telling the German press agency dpa: "I consider the cancellation, based on the stated reasons, to be a completely unspeakable and deeply antisemitic act.""
Flanders Festival Ghent cancelled a Munich Philharmonic concert because conductor Lahav Shani, who is Israeli, had not sufficiently distanced himself from the actions of Israel's government. Organizers said the cancellation aimed to maintain the festival's serenity and affirmed a conviction that music should be a source of connection and reconciliation. The decision provoked widespread outrage, particularly in Germany, with politicians and antisemitism experts condemning the move. German officials labeled the cancellation antisemitic and dangerous, and a former Jewish community leader warned of historical echoes of Nazi-era boycotts. Other European theaters scheduled to host the orchestra said they would not follow Ghent's example.
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