The director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra – a Jew and citizen of Israel – is to become chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic. If someone had said in 1945 that the day would come when such a thing would be possible, everyone would have just smiled sadly. Eighty years later, that is exactly what is happening. Peace and reconciliation are possible. Even friendship is possible. You first sense these possibilities in music and actually always do. Ever since I was introduced as the future chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, the question has been: he is Jewish. He is an Israeli citizen. What will he say if we ask him about October 7th and the Israel-Gaza war, Netanyahu’s politics, Hamas?