The Flanders Festival Ghent said it had cancelled the performance as conductor Lahav Shani had not "unequivocally" distanced himself from Israel's government
HANS PUNZBelgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Saturday he attended a concert by a German orchestra that was disinvited from a Belgian festival to show support for its Israeli conductor.
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.Â
"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.
ub/sbk
Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published.
Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today!
Receive weekly updates on obituaries and death notices.
Oregon Capital Press presented by Columbia Gorge News
Receive updates on upcoming promotions and special sections.
Receive weekly updates on local sports news.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Commented