Organizers cite police warnings and lack of clarity over Gaza stance.

On Monday night, the board of directors of the Ghent Festival confirmed it is canceling the Munich Philharmonic concert conducted by Israeli Lahav Shani.

RELATED:

United Nations Inquiry Finds Israel Committed Genocide in Gaza

Last week, festival organizers decided to cancel the event because Shani also leads the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble that had not taken a clear stance on the conflict in Gaza.

The board reconsidered the decision following criticism from several political representatives, including Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the Flemish nationalist, but after yesterday’s meeting it confirmed that the concert would remain canceled.

“The decision was in no way based on Shani’s origins or nationality, and his personal integrity is not in question,” The board of directors said.

It regretted the controversy caused by the cancellation and emphasized that in future programming it would continue to “prioritize artistic connections and inclusion.” Organizers also justified the cancellation with a Ghent police assessment that the concert could have led to disturbances.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 18, drew criticism from Mathias Diependaele, president of the Flanders region and a member of the nationalist N-VA party; Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot; and Georges-Louis Bouchez, leader of the liberal MR party.

By contrast, Flanders Culture Minister Caroline Gennez of the Flemish Socialist Vooruit party, along with several cultural institutions in Flanders, supported the decision.

Responding to the public debate over the cancellation, Gennez urged Belgian parties to move past the controversy and focus on other tasks. “For me, the incident is now closed,” she said, but added, “We must never trivialize racism.”

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Belga News Agency – EFE

IN THIS ARTICLE