As European news outlets are reporting that the Berlin Philharmonic and the Iranian government are in talks about a possible concert which would take place in Tehran in October, Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev demanded that German Chancellor Angela Merkel cancel these talks.

The event would be significant in Israeli eyes given that renowned pianist Daniel Barenboim currently serves as musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Barenboim, an Argentinian-born Israeli, has earned a reputation in recent years as one of the harshest critics of government policies Barenboim vis-a-vis the Palestinians and settlement building in the West Bank.

The Israeli minister said that if Barenboim really plans to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic in Tehran he will undermine Israel’s efforts to block the Iranian nuclear deal and aid efforts to delegitimize Israel.

The rumors of a possible performance are just the latest sign of growing cultural and economic ties between Iran and the West since the signing of the nuclear agreement between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 powers.

On her Facebook page, Miri Regev wrote : "The conductor, Daniel Barenboim, a citizen of Israel, will perform in Iran together with the Berlin Philharmonic," Regev wrote. "Barenboim has taken an anti-Israel stance and he makes sure to slander Israel while using culture as leverage in order to state his political opinions against the State of Israel."

"This is a mistake by German chancellor Angela Merkel," Regev wrote.

Regev said she intends to write a letter to the German government, urging it to intervene in the matter.

“I believe Germany should do the right thing and cancel the performance along with its conductor,” Regev said.

In a letter to Chancellor Merkel, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed amazement at her “plan to visit Iran in October, reportedly to mark the signature of the G-5+1 nuclear accord,” adding, “We are astonished at news that you are to be accompanied by the Berlin Staatskapelle, led by its musical director, Daniel Barenboim.”

The letter pointed out that, “last week, Iranian Parliamentary Advisor on Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to Syria, Hussein Sheikholeslam, stated that 'Iran will continue to reject the existence of any Israeli on earth... Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan'.”

The Centre urged the Chancellor “to reconsider the mission to Tehran and, above all, to cancel this embellishment – under the cover of music – of Iran's constantly declared nuclear genocidal design to destroy Israel.”