Michael Barenboim Boycotts Israel

Michael Barenboim, son of renowned conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim, is best known as a violinist. He formerly served as Dean of the Barenboim-Said Akademie and continues to teach violin and chamber music at the institution, while also acting as concertmaster of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

As an Israeli musician, Barenboim has expressed particularly harsh criticism of Israel. In a recent interview with VAN magazine, he invoked the term “genocide” and called for international sanctions against Israel.

However, Barenboim is not alone in holding such views. On the contrary, many Israelis regularly take to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bombardment of Gaza, denouncing the brutal attacks on civilians, the killing of innocent children, and policies that result in widespread hunger.

Numerous Jewish musicians, such as conductor Omer Meir Wellber, have also harshly criticized Netanyahu’s policies, drawing comparisons between Israel’s actions and systems of apartheid—or even genocide.

Barenboim’s stance has stirred significant controversy. Critics argue that his views are one-sided and overlook the complexity of the conflict. They point out that he fails to acknowledge the existential threats Israel faces from neighboring entities and omits mention of Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians. For example, he avoids discussing the brutal assaults on October 7, 2023: the massacre of civilians, the bloodshed at a music festival, and widespread acts of rape, kidnapping, and other inhumane crimes.

Many believe that rather than fostering peace, such statements may deepen the divide between Israelis and Palestinians.

As a professor at the Barenboim-Said Akademie—a German federally funded institution dedicated to promoting dialogue and understanding through cultural exchange—Barenboim’s radical position has also raised questions about his role and influence. For Jewish students in Germany, what does it mean to know that their professor may support sanctions against their homeland, disregarding the diversity within Israeli society?

Aligning with groups that deny Israel’s right to exist or support BDS measures does not promote peace and understanding; it widens the divide. Barenboim’s criticism of German-Israeli solidarity disregards Germany’s historical responsibility to protect Jewish life and the Jewish state.

What will become of Daniel Barenboim’s ideals? The elder Barenboim once sought to conduct Wagner’s works in Israel and travelled to Ramallah in an effort to expose injustice. His son, by contrast, now states he would refuse any invitation to perform in Israel. This marks a departure from the core principles of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Barenboim-Said Akademie: a commitment to ongoing dialogue.