Event cancellations over Israel-Gaza war 'suppress debate' in Germany, musician warns

Violinist Michael Barenboim says 'rejection of certain voices' is stifling the industry's creativity

Michael Barenboim says artists should maintain course and speak out in support of those suffering in Gaza. Getty Images

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Musician Michael Barenboim says event cancellations due to polarised opinions over the Israel-Gaza war are having a chilling effect on Germany's cultural events sector.

Speaking at the Frankfurt International Book Fair on Friday, the renowned violinist and composer expressed concern over the number of scrapped events – from concerts to book launches – due to the pro-Palestinian views of the organisers or invited guests.

“Since last October, we’ve seen a sharp rise in the cancellation of cultural events connected to Palestine,” he said during a session exploring German society’s response to the war. "The absolute number is very high, but it’s not just about the numbers. These cancellations disproportionately affect marginalised groups.

"This affects many Palestinians and Jews. So we see here a rejection of certain voices, and these events are often cancelled on various grounds of anti-Semitism and so on.”

In addition to the nixed events, Barenboim says the atmosphere has led to instances of self-censorship by artists and organisations.

“You think once, twice, even three times before you say something. And this leads to a suppression of the discussion – a discussion that we absolutely must have,” he stated. “Even if you have an invitation now, the question becomes: when will I be invited back? This leads to a situation where many people in these sectors think carefully before speaking up, and this ultimately suppresses the debate we desperately need.”

While Barenboim didn’t provide examples of affected events during his discussion, the German cultural sector has been roiled by cancellations of events since the war began last October.

Notable examples include last year's Frankfurt International Book Fair, which scrapped a planned literary award ceremony for Palestinian author Adania Shibli for her novel A Minor Detail, which is set in Gaza. The move then led to Arab publishing bodies and organisations, including the Sharjah Book Authority, to withdraw from the festival.

British author Sharon Dodua Otoo also had her Peter Weiss Prize, a major literature award, revoked in December after signing a petition, as part of the Artists for Palestine UK collective, supporting a boycott of Israel by arts workers.

The Folkwang Museum, in the city of Essen, also shuttered an exhibition curated by Haitian writer Anais Duplan in response to pro-Palestinian commentary on his social media channels. In January, French-Lebanese DJ Arabian Panther, who performs wearing a black keffiyeh, accused Berlin club Berghain of cancelling his performance at the venue due to his support for Palestine. The club still has yet to officially respond.

Barenboim, a member of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra – founded by his father, composer Daniel Barenboim, and Palestinian scholar Edward Said – said artists should maintain course and speak out in support of those suffering in Gaza.

"It is our responsibility to act," he said. "What we have seen in Gaza in recent months – burning children, widespread destruction – compels us to do something. Even if it’s just a small effort, we must act. It cannot be that we remain silent while witnessing such atrocities."

This sentiment was echoed by Turkish author Elif Shafak during the fair’s opening press conference on Tuesday. “The only emotion that really, really frightens me is the absence of all emotions, which is numbness and apathy. And I believe this world we are living in will become a much more dangerous and broken place if this age of angst were to become an age of apathy,” she said.

“The moment we stop caring, the moment we stop writing, and the moment we stop talking about what's happening in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan today, is the moment we become desensitised and indifferent."

Before its conclusion on Sunday, the fair will feature Palestine's former culture minister and novelist Atef Abu Saif, who will discuss the future prospects of his homeland, as well as a panel on Sudanese women’s literature in the face of the civil war.