Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever took a decisive stand against antisemitism on Saturday, traveling to Germany to attend a concert by the Munich Philharmonic in a powerful show of support for its Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani, AFP reported.
The move comes after the orchestra's planned performance at the Flanders Festival Ghent was outrageously canceled, triggering a storm of criticism and accusations of antisemitism.
The Ghent festival organizers had disinvited the Munich Philharmonic, stating that Shani had not "unequivocally" distanced himself from the Israeli government. This decision has been widely condemned by both German and Israeli officials.
De Wever, who had already criticized the festival's decision, said his trip to the German city of Essen was to "strongly condemn" the move and personally express his appreciation for Shani.
He shared a photo on X of himself shaking hands with the conductor, writing, "There will never, ever be any room for racism and antisemitism in this country."
He added, "I insisted on conveying this message to him personally and expressing my appreciation for his contribution to the power of music."
Shani, 36, who is set to officially become the Munich orchestra’s chief conductor for the 2026/27 season, currently serves as the music director of the prestigious Israel Philharmonic.
Meanwhile, in a powerful counter-message, the Berlin Philharmonic extended a short-notice invitation to the Israeli conductor to perform at a festival in the German capital next week. The German government lauded this move as "a wonderful sign" of support.