Overview

• HKW and Jan Böhmermann issued a joint statement canceling the Oct. 7 concert, citing objections particularly from Jewish voices and saying they could no longer guarantee the event’s integrity.
• Kulturstaatsminister Wolfram Weimer had publicly criticized the booking and the date, pointing to photos of Chefket wearing a shirt with a Palestine map that excludes Israel, which the government described as antisemitic.
• Weimer welcomed the decision and reiterated that antisemitism should not be given a stage at federally supported institutions.
• Böhmermann initially rejected accusations at the exhibition opening, saying he would stop any denial of Israel’s existence or the Holocaust on stage, before agreeing to cancel the specific concert.
• Chefket and his management had not responded to inquiries, while the broader exhibition at HKW continues through Oct. 19 with other events, including a planned Weimer appearance on Oct. 8.