On a recent Saturday evening in Essen, Germany, the concert hall buzzed with more than just the anticipation of music. Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever sat among the audience, making a statement that resonated far beyond the notes played by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra, led by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani, was performing a concert that had become a flashpoint in a wider European debate over culture, politics, and the boundaries of protest.
De Wever’s attendance was no ordinary diplomatic gesture. It came on the heels of the Flanders Festival Ghent’s controversial decision to cancel a scheduled concert by the Munich Philharmonic under Shani’s baton, citing what organizers described as “insufficient clarity regarding the conductor’s attitude toward the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.” The festival’s statement, released just days before the Essen concert, referenced Shani’s prominent role as music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and his upcoming appointment as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic. The festival acknowledged that Shani had “spoken out in favor of peace and reconciliation several times in the past,” but insisted it could not be certain of his stance on Israel’s government and its actions in Gaza.
The cancellation sparked a firestorm of criticism across Europe. According to the Associated Press, Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, condemned the move in stark terms on social media, stating, “There are words to describe discriminating (against) a person based solely on his origin. Racism. And in a case of Jew, antisemitism.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also weighed in, thanking De Wever publicly for his “strong signal of solidarity” and warning that Europe “must not give space to this blatant antisemitism.”
De Wever himself did not mince words. Posting a photograph of himself shaking hands with Shani in the concert hall, the Belgian prime minister declared, “There will never, ever be any room for racism and antisemitism in this country.” He added, “I strongly condemn the recent cancellation (…) solely on the basis of the origin of conductor Lahav Shani. That is where I draw the line.” De Wever explained that he had traveled to Essen specifically to convey this message to Shani personally and to express his appreciation for the conductor’s “contribution to the power of music.”
The controversy comes at a time of deepening divisions in Europe over the ongoing war in Gaza. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and abducting 251 hostages. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed at least 64,871 Palestinians, with around half of those casualties being women and children. The humanitarian toll has been devastating: large swathes of Gaza’s cities have been destroyed, and roughly 90% of the territory’s two million residents have been displaced.
In Belgium, the political fallout from the Ghent festival’s decision has been particularly acute. De Wever, who leads a fragile five-party coalition government, has faced both internal and external pressures over his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict. On social media, he reiterated Belgium’s position: “Immediately after the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas, I expressed my fear that the Israeli government would allow itself to be drawn into an endless violent conflict in Gaza. Unfortunately, that fear came true.” De Wever emphasized Belgium’s support for “all targeted sanctions proposed by the European Union to end the war,” while insisting that opposition to racism and antisemitism must remain non-negotiable.
The Ghent festival’s rationale for canceling Shani’s performance—namely, that he had not “unequivocally” distanced himself from Israel’s government—has been met with skepticism by other European cultural institutions. The Berlin Philharmonic, for example, swiftly extended a short-notice invitation to Shani and the Munich Philharmonic to perform in Berlin the following week. German officials described this as “a wonderful sign” of support for the conductor and a rebuke to what they saw as an act of discrimination.
Lahav Shani, at just 36 years old, is one of the brightest stars in the classical music world. Beyond his current roles with the Israel Philharmonic and Rotterdam Philharmonic, he is set to officially become the chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season. In recent years, Shani has been outspoken about the power of music to bridge divides, but has also faced the challenge of navigating a cultural landscape increasingly polarized by global conflicts.
The European Union, meanwhile, is grappling with its own divisions over how to respond to the war in Gaza and the broader question of cultural boycotts. While some EU member states have advocated for targeted sanctions against Israel, consensus has proved elusive. According to Euractiv, a recent shift in position by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—who, after initial resistance, called for a partial suspension of the EU-Israel trade deal—could add pressure for further action. On Friday, the European Commission announced it had asked its antisemitism coordinator to step in and help mediate tensions related to the Ghent festival controversy.
For many in the arts community, the episode has raised uncomfortable questions about the intersection of politics and culture. Is it fair to hold individual artists accountable for the actions of their governments? Does barring a conductor based on nationality or perceived political stance cross the line into discrimination? These questions have no easy answers, but the strong reactions from both supporters and critics of the Ghent festival’s decision underscore the intensity of feeling on all sides.
As the dust settles from the Essen concert, one thing is clear: the debate over Lahav Shani’s canceled performance has become a symbol of larger struggles—over free expression, the limits of protest, and the enduring shadow of antisemitism in Europe. For Bart De Wever, the decision to cross the border and attend the concert was about more than music. It was, in his words, a stand against “racism and antisemitism,” and a message that, at least in Belgium, those lines should never be crossed.
In a Europe increasingly divided by war abroad and political strife at home, the echoes from that concert hall in Essen carry a weight that goes far beyond the final chord.