German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer has spoken of a "disgrace for Europe" after a Belgian festival canceled a performance by a top German orchestra to be given with an Israeli conductor.

Organizers of the Flanders Festival Ghent late on Wednesday announced that the Munich Philharmonic would no longer perform on September 18 as planned, saying they were concerned about conductor Lahav Shani's attitude to the Israeli government.

What did the festival say about conductor Lahav Shani?

In a statement, the organizers said they were "unable to provide sufficient clarity about his [Shani's] attitude" towards the Israeli government, which they referred to as a "genocidal regime." Several human rights NGOs and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have declared Israel's war in Gaza a genocide, an accusation which Israel and Germany reject.

"We have chosen to refrain from collaboration with partners who have not distanced themselves unequivocally from that regime," the organizers said, though they noted that Shani had "spoken out in favor of peace and reconciliation several times in the past."

Shani, who is to officially take over as conductor of the orchestra for the 2026/27 season, currently serves as music director of the famous Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Weimer accuses festival of 'pure antisemitism'

Culture Minister Weimer accused the festival of carrying out "a cultural boycott" disguised as criticism of Israel.

"This is pure antisemitism and an attack on the fundamentals of our culture," he said, calling the affair "a dangerous precedent."

Weimer said a red line would have been crossed if it became acceptable to collectively disinvite German orchestras and Jewish artists.

"European cultural venues must not become places where antisemites dictate the programs. Germany will not accept this," he added.

Munich Philharmonic 'flagship of German culture'

Weimer also praised the Munich Philharmonic as a "flagship of German culture and world-class quality."

"People who refuse it and its future chief conductor a venue do not harm Israel, but Europe and their own credibility," he said.

"Germany stands unequivocally at the side of the Munich Philharmonic and Lahav Shani. Our message is clear: We will not let either our orchestra or our Jewish artists be marginalized."

The orchestra and the city of Munich also criticized the festival's move, calling it a collective punishment of Israeli artists and saying that excluding people from cultural venues because of their origin or religion was "an attack on fundamental European and democratic values."

In March 2022, the orchestra itself dropped Russian maestro Valery Gergiev as its chief conductor after he failed to denounce Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher