Not quite getting the Wagner thing

From a recent Al Ahram opinion piece.

In that respect, the Arabs are no different from any other people -- including Jews -- when they refuse to forget the crimes committed against them before a just settlement to their ordeal is reached and a historic apology for the crimes perpetuated is tendered. While the Israelis have until very recently refused to allow Wagner's music to be played in Israel because Wagner, who died decades before the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich, happened to be the Dictator's favourite composer . . .

Wagner "happened" to be a prominent anti-Semitic intellectual figure in his own time. His articles influenced Hitler's thinking. This writer assumes that Der Fuhrer just "happened" to take a liking to his music, poor guy, dooming him to the ire of those perpetually unforgiving Israelis. I don't much support bans on music myself, but if anyone ever deserved it, it was Wagner. If you don't believe me, just spend a few seconds with a search-engine or a cheap set of encyclopedia.