The organizers of the Flanders Festival Ghent were open about why they decided to cancel a planned concert by the Munich Philharmonic: The reason, they said, was that its Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani, had not sufficiently distanced himself from the actions of Israel's government. By cancelling the event, the organizers claim they wanted "to maintain the serenity of our festival," and state that it is their "deepest conviction that music should be a source of connection and reconciliation."
Festival organizers 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. Shani, who is to officially take over as conductor of the orchestra for the 2026/27 season, currently serves as music director of the Israel Philharmonic. In a statement, the organizers said they were "unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude" towards the Israeli government, which is currently waging a war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the territory.