Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever attended a concert by the Munich Philharmonic orchestra in Essen on Saturday, led by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani days after the musician’s scheduled performance in Ghent was cancelled.
The Festival of Flanders had said there was “insufficient clarity regarding the conductor’s attitude toward the genocidal regime” as Israel continues its bombardment on Gaza.
Taking to social media after attending the event in Germany, De Wever criticised that decision in unusually sharp terms. “I strongly condemn the recent cancellation (…) solely on the basis of the origin of conductor Lahav Shani,” he wrote on Facebook. “That is where I draw the line.”
The Belgian prime minister said he wanted to convey this message to Shani personally. He also restated Belgium’s position on Israel’s war on Gaza, the formulation of which has triggered bitter infighting within the country’s fragile five-way coalition led by the right-wing prime minister.
“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,” he said.
Belgium supports “all targeted sanctions proposed by the European Union to end the war,” while insisting that “there will never, ever be any room for racism and antisemitism in this country.”
The gesture by De Wever was welcomed in Berlin.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz thanked De Wever “for his strong gesture of solidarity” and warned that Europe “must not give space to this blatant antisemitism.”
The EU has made attempts to confront its own deep divisions over the bloc’s response to the ongoing war, but sanctions remain a distant prospect. A recent change in tack by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who, after initial opposition, this past week called for a partial suspension of the EU-Israel trade deal, could potentially add pressure.
On Friday, the European Commission said it had asked its antisemitism coordinator to get involved and help mediate.
(jp)
