Germans stage anti-antisemitism concert

Germans stage anti-antisemitism concert

News

norman lebrecht

November 29, 2023

Konzerthaus Dortmund is putting on a December 2 concert as a stand against rising antisemitism. Former Bundestag President Norbert Lammert will be among the speakers.

The concert will feature Pinchas Zukerman in the concerto by Paul Ben-Haim, who fled Germany under the Nazis. Lahav Shani will conduct the Bamberg Symphony.

Konzerthaus director Raphael von Hoensbroech says: ‘The brutal attack by Hamas against civilians in Israel on 7 October and the resulting escalation of the Middle East conflict have deeply shaken us. We cannot be indifferent nor should it be relativised that anti-Semitism has flared up all over the world as a result and that violence against Jews has increased.’

Comments

  • zayin says:

    First of all, the Germans are way overcompensating for their past sins by these empty symbolic gestures (for real substance how about crack down on the far right?); second, one is never sure if European hypocrisy now is truly pro-Semitic or disguised anti-Islamic.

    • kaa says:

      I would say that the west’s hypocrisy is too blatant and one is always sure that whatever mantle they are wearing today.

  • Walter says:

    You could probably stand to workshop this headline a bit more

  • Peter says:

    Konzerthaus Dortmund are a very enlightened group of people – have performed there many times and it never ceases to amaze how receptive they are. (Both audience and management!)

  • Define: Zionism says:

    Imagine that happening in the UK.

    Orchestra of the age of enlightenment, perhaps?

  • william osborne says:

    Anti-Semitic behavior has risen 320% in Germany since the Hamas attacks. I assumed that most would be from Germany’s relative large Moslem community, but Islamist attacks account for only 6% of the actions. According to a report by AP, the behavior covers a wide spectrum of groups. Far-right actions were only 2%. 5% were left wing/anti-imperialist. 21% were anti-Israeli activism. The background of 63% of the behavior is unknown, so the above numbers aren’t very definitive. The AP article is here:

    https://apnews.com/article/germany-antisemitism-attacks-jews-israel-hamas-berlin-1000dd76d3a4c4fcc75ea28e4bae0b89

    My guess is most countries are experiencing similar numbers but that Germany keeps closer records and has to take the matter more seriously.

    • zayin says:

      “Anti-Semitic behavior has risen 320% … 5% were left wing/anti-imperialist. 21% were anti-Israeli activism”

      You yourself, in your own formulation, hopelessly confound “anti-semitic” with “anti-imperialist” and “anti-Israeli”.

      I am anti-imperialist Putin and anti-Soviet Union, that doesn’t make me anti-Slavic.

  • Paul Dawson says:

    My choice of concert tickets is predicated on the quality of musical performance anticipated, not the validity of the cause being supported.

  • MOST READ TODAY: