Berlin intervenes after Belgian festival drops Israeli conductor over Gaza

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By Susanne Neumayer-Remter

BERLIN (Reuters) -Berlin’s famed Konzerthaus stepped in at short notice to host Israeli conductor Lahav Shani after his invitation to a Belgian festival was rescinded because of the Gaza conflict.

Shani had been due to conduct the Munich Philharmonic, his new orchestra, in Ghent next week until the Flanders Festival said that his current job as Chief Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic had given them pause.

“Lahav Shani has spoken out in favour of peace and reconciliation several times in the past,” the festival said in a statement. “But in the light of his role as the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra we are unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.”

Israel has vehemently rejected accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.

The Belgian festival’s decision drew condemnation from German politicians. Germany maintains it has a particular obligation to Israel because of its responsibility for the 1940s Holocaust of Europe’s Jews, a position that has come under growing strain due to growing European alarm at the Gaza conflict, in which some 64,000 Palestinians have been killed.

“The rescinding of the invitation to the Munich Philharmonic and Lahav Shani is unacceptable,” wrote German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. “Jews living here must never be exploited for the purpose of criticising the Israeli government.”

Shani will now conduct the orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and extracts from Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde at the Konzerthaus on Monday.

“We believe boycotting artists is always the wrong approach,” said Matthias Pees, head of the Berliner Festspiele, who invited Shani. “Shani is a wonderful person and musician. He studied here … He has worked intensively for peace and reconciliation.”

Senior Belgian politicians, including the prime minister of the Belgian region of Flanders, also criticised the Flanders Festival’s decision.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel in which some 1,200 were killed and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s military response has left more than 64,000 Gazans dead, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory.

(Reporting by Susanne Neumayer, writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Aidan Lewis)