Overview

• HKW and Jan Böhmermann canceled the 7 October concert featuring Chefket, citing objections, especially from Jewish groups, and an inability to guarantee the event’s integrity on that date.
• Culture State Minister Wolfram Weimer criticized the planned appearance and urged the HKW not to tolerate antisemitism, calling the booking a provocation on the Hamas attack anniversary.
• The controversy centers on two Instagram posts showing Chefket wearing a shirt labeled 'Palestine' with a map that omitted Israel, first highlighted by Nius and later characterized by Bild as anti‑Israel.
• Following Chefket’s removal, artists including Blumengarten, Domiziana, Mine, Wa22ermann, and Akryl canceled their sets, leaving the series without any concerts.
• HKW and Böhmermann have offered limited further comment, and a meeting with the culture minister is scheduled for 8 October to address the fallout.