Time for Financial Sanctions by the U.S. Against Caroline Gennez and Those Who Enable Antisemitism

Europe has seen many forms of boycotts in recent months, but the decision by Flanders Festival Ghent to disinvite the Munich Philharmonic because its incoming chief conductor is an Israeli—Lahav Shani—crosses a red line. It is not a neutral curatorial choice; it is a cultural boycott aimed at excluding a Jewish artist from public life. We have seen where this logic leads in Europe’s darkest chapters: when the state and its cultural gatekeepers begin to demand ideological conformity from artists, the path from canceled concerts to book burnings and bans is shorter than many wish to admit.

How we got here

On September 3, 2025, the Flemish Minister of Culture, Caroline Gennez (Vooruit), publicly urged the cultural sector to adopt a “real cultural boycott” of partners who would not “take clear distance from the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.” She announced she would move to suspend cooperation agreements with Israel and called on boards and directors to share responsibility for this stance. 

One week later, Flanders Festival Ghent canceled the Munich Philharmonic’s September 18 performance, stating it could not provide “sufficient clarity” about Shani’s attitude toward what it called “the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv,” explicitly linking its move to “the call from the Minister of Culture, the city council of Ghent and the cultural sector in Ghent.” 

The message was unmistakable: because Shani is Israeli (and a Jewish cultural figure who directs the Israel Philharmonic), he is unwelcome. This is collective punishment—national-origin discrimination wrapped in politicized cultural policy. The festival’s own words leave little doubt. 

Germany and Belgium react

German officials responded with rare speed and clarity. Berlin’s culture commissioner Wolfram Weimer called the decision “a disgrace for Europe” and “blanket antisemitism”—a cultural boycott masquerading as policy. Bavaria’s arts minister Markus Blume called it a scandal, stressing that barring a top orchestra because “an Israeli stands at the podium” is “grob antisemitisch.” Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter and the orchestra itself underscored that Shani’s work stands for humanism and dialogue. 

In Belgium, reactions split sharply. The federal Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot called the cancellation “excessive” and warned against conflating Jewish/Israeli identity with any government’s policies. Flanders’ Minister-President Mathias Diependaele labeled the move “rash and thoughtless.” By contrast, Caroline Gennez explicitly supported the festival, saying she had called on the sector to send a strong signal. 

Crucially, even Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever weighed in, saying the decision had caused consternation in Germany and was being labeled antisemitic, that imposing a professional ban on someone “solely because of his origin” is irresponsible, and that the reputation of Flanders and Belgium has been tarnished. 

This is not “just” a programming choice

Artists cannot be required to draft ideological loyalty statements to satisfy political overseers. Europe pledged Nie Wieder; barring a Jewish/Israeli conductor on the basis of nationality and supposed insufficient denunciations of his own people’s government cannot be squared with that vow. The festival’s language—invoking a “genocidal regime” as a litmus test for an artist’s presence—mimics the very tactics used historically to hound Jews out of cultural spaces: verdict first, evidence later, humanity never. The parallels to the 1930s—when books were burned and Jewish artists purged from orchestras and theaters—should disturb anyone who cares about Europe’s soul.

A pattern politicians are fueling

This did not happen in a vacuum. It followed a public call for a cultural boycott by a sitting culture minister. The festival then cited that call as part of its rationale. That is how political rhetoric hardens into institutional discrimination. We do not need to speculate about “intent”; the chain of cause and effect is on the record. (RTL info – La Une de l’actualité)

Why U.S. action is warranted

When European authorities enable discriminatory exclusions of Jewish/Israeli artists, it is legitimate for allies to respond. The United States has tools designed to counter serious human-rights abuses and to bar abusive officials from the benefits of access to American finance and territory. Two are especially relevant:

• Global Magnitsky sanctions (E.O. 13818) – empower the U.S. Treasury to freeze assets and bar transactions of foreign persons responsible for serious human-rights abuse or significant corruption. While typically reserved for grave abuses, the standard is broader than traditional definitions and has been used in diverse contexts where fundamental rights are targeted. Whether the evidentiary threshold is met here is for U.S. authorities to assess, but the legal framework is clear. (OFAC)
• Section 7031(c) visa restrictions – require the U.S. to deny entry to foreign officials (and their immediate family members) when there is credible information of their involvement in gross violations of human rights; these can be imposed publicly or privately. If a government official is found to have orchestrated or directed discriminatory exclusions that violate basic civil rights, 7031(c) provides a targeted, fast response. (U.S. Department of State)

A strong, principled plea

1. Open a U.S. review of targeted measures against Flemish Culture Minister Caroline Gennez and the governing board of Flanders Festival Ghent, focused on whether their actions constitute discriminatory exclusion of a protected minority from cultural life. If U.S. agencies find the applicable thresholds satisfied, impose visa bans (7031(c)) and consider financial sanctions (Global Magnitsky) against responsible decision-makers. 
2. Signal consequences now. The State Department can issue public visa ineligibility determinations even while Magnitsky-level reviews proceed. This deters further cultural boycotts that target identity rather than conduct. 
3. Condition U.S. institutional partnerships. American orchestras, universities, foundations, and city presenters should pause collaborations with the festival and any government-led programs that supported this exclusion until the decision is rescinded and a clear non-discrimination policy is adopted. (The Munich Philharmonic’s response sets the right moral tone.) 
4. Urge an EU-level review. While this plea addresses U.S. action, Washington should encourage Brussels and Belgium’s federal authorities to examine whether the festival (and any political directives behind it) violated EU and Belgian anti-discrimination norms in the cultural sphere. (Belgium’s own foreign minister already called the move “excessive.”) 

What accountability looks like

At minimum:

• A full reversal of the disinvitation and a public apology to Lahav Shani and the Munich Philharmonic;
• A binding non-discrimination charter for publicly funded cultural bodies in Flanders; and
• An explicit renunciation by officials of cultural boycotts that target artists based on origin or identity, rather than conduct.

Until such steps are taken, targeted U.S. measures are an appropriate, proportionate response to a state-encouraged act of discrimination that chills the participation of Jewish and Israeli artists in European cultural life. That is not “politics intruding on art.” It is the defense of art—and of the people who make it—against politics at its most corrosive.

Europe promised Never Again. Excluding a Jewish conductor because he is Israeli breaks faith with that promise. Allies should not look away.