Overview

• Festival organizers said they could not obtain “sufficient clarity” on Lahav Shani’s stance toward what they called the “genocidal regime in Tel Aviv,” adopting a policy to avoid partners who have not distanced themselves unequivocally.
• The festival is refunding tickets, says the decision was coordinated with Flemish Culture Minister Caroline Gennez and Ghent’s city council, and rejects accusations of antisemitism.
• German and Israeli officials denounced the cancellation as discriminatory, with Germany’s culture commissioner calling it “pure antisemitism,” while Belgium’s foreign minister labeled the step “excessive.”
• The German Embassy in Belgium ended its cooperation with the festival, and Germany’s culture commissioner said the Munich Philharmonic will perform an alternative concert in Berlin on Monday.
• A musicians’ petition urging a reversal surpassed 11,000 signatures by Friday, as the orchestra and Israeli cultural figures continued to press for reinstatement.