Festival organisers maintained that while Shani has made statements in favour of peace and reconciliation, his dual role as music director of the Israel Philharmonic has raised questions which they feel remain unanswered. They invoked a broader call from the local cultural sector, the city council, and Belgium’s minister of culture asking cultural institutions to refrain from partnering with those who have not distanced themselves unequivocally from that regime. The concert, due 18 September, was deemed “undesirable” under the current circumstances.
Officials in Germany sharply criticised the cancellation. The German culture and media commissioner, Wolfram Weimer, called it “blatant antisemitism” and “a disgrace for Europe.” The Munich Philharmonic described the decision as a violation of essential democratic values, condemning what it called collective punishment of an artist for national origin or affiliation. The orchestra’s artistic director Florian Wiegand expressed disbelief that such a cancellation could happen in the heart of the European Union.
Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, pushed back, saying the festival’s decision was “excessive” and warned against conflating Jewish identity or origin with support for governmental policy. Bart De Wever, Belgium’s prime minister, expressed regret that the move could damage the country’s international reputation, calling the action “reckless and irresponsible.”
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