To the management of the Philharmonie Luxembourg

ANPI, the National Association of Italian Partisans, has as its fundamental mission the preservation of memory and the safeguarding of the history of the resistance against fascism and Nazism, so that crimes against humanity such as those witnessed in the twentieth century may never be repeated.

Among the events we supervise are also the strategies of cultural propaganda by fascist regimes: concerts, exhibitions, and artistic tours used as tools to hide and legitimise atrocious crimes.

It is with this historical awareness that we look today at the concert of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, scheduled for 9 November 2025 at the Philharmonie Luxembourg. A concert that, beyond the artistic value of the musicians, cannot be considered neutral: the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is not an apolitical institution. It is funded by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and prides itself on being the country's greatest cultural ambassador. It is part of the cultural propaganda campaign known as "Brand Israel", an attempt to divert attention from the grave violations of humanitarian and international law that Israel has committed in Palestine for years.

On 17 September 2025, the Director of the Philharmonie Luxembourg Stephan Gehmacher justified the presence of conductor Lahav Shani, excluded from the Ghent Festival for failing to clarify his position on the "genocide", by appealing to the idea of "music that unites". But what does it unite, exactly? Israel with Luxembourg? This rhetoric legitimises the building of cultural bridges with a "genocidal" state. Today what should unite us is solidarity with the people of Gaza who suffer and the determination to put an end to Israel's military initiative as soon as possible to make room for the necessary humanitarian aid. The concert of 9 November will not be remembered as an event that unites, but as an operation of cultural propaganda, aimed at whitewashing the image of a government carrying out genocide in Gaza and making us complicit.

Our task, today as yesterday, is to prevent and denounce, because we are mindful of the past. Music, like every form of art, should serve peace and human dignity, not those who trample them.

Request

We therefore ask that the Philharmonie Luxembourg allow the presence of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra only on condition of a public declaration by the orchestra that condemns the genocide in Gaza and distances itself from the Israeli government and its policies of apartheid and occupation.

In the absence of this act of clarity and moral responsibility, we believe that hosting the concert would mean legitimising a form of cultural propaganda incompatible with the values of a public entity.

With firmness, but also with respect for music and for those who love it, we therefore ask that the Philharmonie Luxembourg cancel the concert if these minimum conditions of dignity and humanity are not met.

ANPI Luxembourg Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d'Italia

Signatories of the letter:
Centre Culturel Altrimenti
Circolo culturale e ricreativo "Eugenio Curiel"
PassaParola Media Group