The Cost of Speech is Zero, True Strength Lies in Unity

Upset reactions over Israeli maestro Lahav Shani's departure from the Flanders Festival, yet the alleged antisemites continuingly escape boycott calls.

, and Administrator

2025 September 19 . 4:34 AM

2 min read

The monetary value of rhetoric is zero, whereas the priceless worth of unity is evident

The Cost of Speech is Zero, True Strength Lies in Unity

In the world of music, a storm of controversy has erupted over the removal of Lahav Shani, the Israeli chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, from the line-up of the Flanders Festival in Belgium. Lahav Shani, an Israeli citizen and a Jew, has been at the centre of a heated debate due to his role with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The leadership of the Flanders Festival has expressed doubts about Shani's stance on the Israeli government, leading to his dismissal from the festival. This decision has sparked a wave of criticism, with some viewing it as an act of collective punishment against a Jewish artist. The intentions behind this move are seen as an attempt to target the Jewish state and collectively pressure a Jewish artist, as revealed by the lack of factual information supporting the construct. The German Minister of State for Culture, Wolfram Weimer, has criticised the anti-Semitic cancel culture, joining voices against the controversial decision. The German Embassy in Belgium has ended its partnership with the Flanders Festival due to the controversy. Meanwhile, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra (FBO) is not canceling its guest performance at the Flanders Festival due to financial reasons. Intendant Hans-Georg Kaiser of the FBO has explicitly condemned the exclusion of Lahav Shani and the Munich Philharmonic from the festival. The politician allegedly exerting pressure to force Shani's dismissal is Caroline Gennez, the Flemish Culture Minister. Calls for resignation are being made against Festival President Briers and Minister Gennez. The removal of Shani from the Flanders Festival program and the calls for a boycott have also sparked controversy and debate in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). Several countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, and Spain, have announced their ESC boycott if Israel is allowed to participate. The culture committee in Germany wants to deal with the topic following the cancellation of a Munich Philharmonic performance in Belgium. The calls for boycotts question the principles of a free culture, according to author Tim Schleider, who views politicization and exclusion as becoming more prevalent in the music world, despite the belief that art should not be a playing field for political disputes. Despite the ongoing controversy, the show must go on. The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis, led by Lionel Meunier, will perform Bach's Mass in B Minor at the Flanders Festival in Ghent on Wednesday. As for Lahav Shani, festival director Jan Briers has suggested that he could still perform if he provides a statement unequivocally condemning the actions of the Israeli government by Monday. The saga continues, with the music world watching closely to see how this unfolds.