When it comes to a bit of provocation, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) knows about Wanten-as he recently repeated his affection for a Great-Nederland and placed photos on Instagram on which he mocked the French-speaking opposition with his cat. But on the photo Who shared De Wever last weekend, with the caption “just attended a wonderful performance in Essen,” even coalition partners reacted furiously.
The concert in Essen was from the Münchner Philharmoniker, and was conducted by the Israeli conductor, Lahav Shani, who also leads the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. For example, De Wever intertwined in a discussion that has been playing in Belgium for a week: does the Ghent Festival of Flanders not invite Shani, because according to the organization he would not sufficiently distance himself from the Israeli government?
German ministers mentioned the decision of the festival organization Anti -Semitism. Board members of the festival stepped up. The Ghent city council would have been involved. Cultural institutions wrote in a open letter that the issue “is strategically abused for our already fragile [Vlaamse] to further polarize society “. And Shani himself responded on Wednesday that the festival” admits to political pressure “, and that it is impossible” to remain indifferent to the suffering of citizens in Gaza. ”
“Everyone loses and is now angry,” concludes Christope Busch, genocide researcher and director of the Belgian knowledge center Hannah Arendt Institute.
What do we see happening here?
“There has been tampered with good intentions. The organization wanted to tackle this conductor too quickly, but came up in a statement with a clumsy sentence, it got out of hand.”
The festival written: “In the light of his function as chief conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, we cannot provide sufficient clarity about his attitude towards the genocidary regime in Tel Aviv.”
Busch understands the political reactions and worries about anti -Semitism. Yet he calls De Wever’s visit to Germany something that “does not help the case”. “It contributes to the idea of different camps. The prime minister also adds the position of Germany to this discussion.
“Certainly after Tuesday’s UN report, which lays a legal foundation to speak of genocide, we must relate to a country that commits genocide on diplomatic, economic and cultural level. A representative of a state can appeal to you, that is a clear definition.
“It seems very clear to me that the organization of the Eurovision Songfestival must be courageous and forbid Israel to participate. Although it is said that the festival is apolitical, you can clearly represent a state at that event. This summer an Israeli DJ would perform at music festival Tomorrowland, he would have made a whole tour of the ISRAALIES of the ISRAATIM.
“In the case of conductor Lahav Shani and the Ghent Festival of Flanders, that is much false. It is a gray area to what extent he represents the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra as the conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. He has partly pronounced himself about Gaza.”
Christophe Busch, genocide researcher and director of the Belgian Knowledge Center Hannah Arendt Institute: “Enemy thinking is a classic process.”
Photo Jimmy Kets
Why does this dynamic play?
“There are three issues that every citizen with common sense, in my opinion: the genocide in Gaza, the terror of October 7 and the exponential increase in anti -Semitism. But sometimes it seems as if you have to choose a side. Because of powerlessness about the constant violence or because someone feels attacked in his identity, there is a greater equal in my fight.” That idea. “
“Instead of expecting moral purity, the conductor and the festival should have given a joint message of tolerance.
“The enemy thinking is a classic process. That’s how you felt after the Russian invasion of Ukraine [in 2022] The temptation to say that we were no longer allowed to read the Dostoevsky’s books. Russian culture is not the problem, Russian culture carriers spreading a message from the Russian regime are the problem. That also applies to Israel.
„Legitieme kritiek op Israël kan soms in één of twee stappen doorglijden richting antisemitisme, terwijl het niet zo is bedoeld. Het is een denkfout om de verantwoordelijkheid voor de genocide te verschuiven van de Israëlische regering en veiligheidsdiensten naar het Joodse volk. Net zoals je het Duitse volk niet kan vereenzelvigen met de Holocaust, dat waren de nazi’s en collaborateurs, pleegt het Joodse volk geen genocide. ”
Why is that sometimes difficult?
“As a person we try to comprehend a very complex world, we don’t always look for stratification. Hannah Arendt states that you better understand the world when you look at it through the eyes of your opponent.
“I am a Gentenaar. When I teach students in Antwerp, I sometimes tell some gross things about Antwerp residents. That they are all arrogant, for example. The first reaction of those students is: what does that dirty Gentenaar think? And their second reaction: Antwerp Up! If you have that emotional dynamic after three sentences, you can see how that is on a larger scale.”