EU commissioners and executives labelled it as wrong regarding the decision by the Gent Festival to cancel concerts by Israeli conductors about his views on the Israeli government.
The Ghent Festival has cancelled its Munich Philharmonic Orchestra concert scheduled for next week, citing insufficient clarity about Israeli conductor Rahavshani’s attitude towards the Israeli government.
“We are deeply interested in the cancellation of concerts and the impact it conveys,” a committee spokesman told Euroneus.
“Unless we spread hatred or violence, banning people from the stage or concert hall is contrary to our fundamental and democratic values. Artists should not be judged based on their origins, religious or political affiliation,” the spokesman added.
In a post on X, Commissioner of Culture Glen Mikalev said, “It is wrong to cancel the appearance of an artist at a concert based purely on his religious beliefs and nationality.”
German green politician Volcker Beck denounced the decision as an anti-Semitic, saying in a post on X that funding the EU festival involved the committee in the decision.
However, a spokesperson for the committee said that EU funds were not involved in the Gent Festival.
“Creative Europe has not funded this year’s edition in any way. We are aware that the creative European logo is featured on the festival’s website. We will ask the organizers to remove it immediately,” the spokesman said.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prebott has been described as “excessive” from the cancellation of the concert, and German culture and media commissioner Wolfram Weimer called Ghent’s decision “a disgrace of Europe.”
Weimer added that it sets a “dangerous precedent” and that “it’s an attack on naked anti-Semitism and the fundamentals of our culture.”