The storm in Belgium over the Israeli conductor: calls to cancel the concert intensify

Calls in Belgium to cancel a concert by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Lahav Shani are intensifying, following a report by the Hind Rajab Foundation accusing him of shaping the Israeli national narrative. The concert, scheduled for November in Brussels, has sparked controversy over a pro-Israel concert he conducted after October 7. Last year, his concert in Ghent was canceled.

Calls in Belgium to cancel a concert by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani are intensifying. The concert is scheduled for November 24 at the BOZAR hall in Brussels. The controversy stems from a report published by the Hind Rajab Foundation, a pro-Palestinian organization founded by Belgian-Lebanese activists. The report accuses Shani of "shaping the Israeli national narrative" following a pro-Israel concert he conducted on October 22, 2023, two weeks after the October 7 massacre. That concert, broadcast live from an empty hall, included "Hatikvah," "Teruah for Israel," and Beethoven's Third Symphony. The report claims Shani focused on Israeli suffering and ignored Palestinian suffering. Last year, a concert by Lahav Shani at the Flanders Festival in Ghent was canceled, citing an inability to clarify his stance. Three members of the BOZAR board resigned in protest, but the hall's managers refuse to cancel the concert. The hall's director, Christophe Slagmuylder, stated that Shani has never expressed support for the Netanyahu regime.