By Ralph Pais
In Ghent, Lahav Shani, one of the greatest conductors of his generation, was prevented from performing. Not because of his ideas, nor because of his art, but solely because he is Israeli.
Since when, in Europe, are artists required to sign a political declaration before being allowed to take the stage?
Has any Belgian singer — or any artist from any other country — ever been forced to publicly distance themselves from their government before performing abroad? Never.
Let us be clear: the only reason Lahav Shani was excluded is because he represents the Jewish state.
This is naked discrimination — something we have never demanded of any other artist in the world.
This abuse carries a name: Caroline Gennez, Flemish Minister of Culture.
For years, she has distinguished herself by an obsessive hostility toward Israel. Her statements are not balanced political criticism, but targeted animosity. Just last year, she declared that Germany “risked ending up on the wrong side of history” if it supported Israel. Those words already sparked a diplomatic storm. Today, she repeats the same mistake and goes even further by endorsing the exclusion of an Israeli conductor.
Even in Germany, the Federal Minister of Culture condemned such a decision as “pure antisemitism” (Bild, September 12, 2025).
As Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever stated, this decision is “senseless, irresponsible and antisemitic.” Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR party, likewise denounced this national disgrace and called for Gennez’s resignation.
A minister who turns culture into an instrument of discrimination has no place in a democratic government.
Make no mistake: behind the exclusion of this conductor lies a darker reality.
This is not political criticism — it is Jew-hatred, dressed up as moral virtue.
As a Jew in Belgium, I say this with gravity: what happened in Ghent is not a cultural incident, it is a warning signal for our future here.
When antisemitism is no longer confined to the streets, the slogans, or the demonstrations, but becomes normalized in our universities, our media, our cultural institutions — and is now even echoed and legitimized by ministers — then Jewish life in this country begins to falter. Many are already silently asking themselves whether they still have a place and a future here.
What is at stake today is not Israel’s image.
It is Belgium’s honor, and the very survival of Jewish life on its soil.And if our country continues down this path, it will bear forever the shame of having driven out its own Jews.
Ralph Pais is Vice President of JID – Jewish Information and Documentation Center.