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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Philip Oltermann European culture editor

Festival axes German orchestra over concerns about Israeli conductor

Lahav Shani Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Valery Gergiev
Lahav Shani leads the Rotterdam Philharmonic
Lahav Shani performs with the Rotterdam Philharmonic in Romania. He has not commented about being dropped from a festival in Belgium. Photograph: Robert Ghement/EPA

A Belgian classical music festival has axed a leading German orchestra from its programme over concerns about its Israeli conductor, drawing accusations of antisemitism from Berlin.

Flanders Festival Ghent announced it had cancelled a concert by the Munich Philharmonic scheduled for 18 September, citing insufficient clarity over Lahav Shani’s attitude to the Israeli government.

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