Star Metro - Belgium PM attends concert of Israeli conductor axed by festival

The cancellation of a planned performance at the Flanders Festival Ghent by the Munich Philharmonic over concerns about its Israeli future chief conductor, Lahav Shani, has triggered a storm of criticism and accusations of antisemitism.

De Wever, who had already criticised the move, said he travelled to the German city of Essen on Saturday to "strongly condemn" the decision, and express his appreciation for Shani in person.

"There will never, ever be any room for racism and antisemitism in this country," he wrote on X, alongside a photo of himself shaking hands with Shani in a concert hall.

"I insisted on conveying this message to him personally and expressing my appreciation for his contribution to the power of music."

The Ghent festival organisers said this week they had decided to scrap the performance because Shani had not "unequivocally" distanced himself from Israel's government, whose ongoing war in Gaza has triggered international uproar.

The move has drawn criticism, including from Germany and Israel.

On Friday, the Berlin Philharmonic said it had extended a short-notice invite to the Israeli conductor to perform at a festival in the German capital next week, in what the German government described as "a wonderful sign" of support.

Shani, 36, who officially takes over as conductor of the Munich orchestra for the 2026/27 season, is currently music director of the Israel Philharmonic.

Israel launched its retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

The catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza as a result of Israel's campaign and ongoing blockade have fuelled widespread public anger in Europe, although the region's governments have been divided on how to respond.

M.Johnson--SMC