During an official visit in Berlin, where he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Bart De Wever left a moving message in the guestbook of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe:  “On behalf of the Belgian government and all people and communities living together in peace in Belgium, I express my deepest sympathy and my respect. We will remember all the victims. I stand here humbly at this place of remembrance. The Jewish community will always have a home in Europe.”

At the joint press conference with his German counterpart Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Tuesday, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever reiterated that the recognition of Palestine can only be meaningful under strict conditions. In his view, recognition without those guarantees would be “pointless and even counterproductive.”

“Hamas must disappear completely, there must be a credible Palestinian Authority, an agreement must be reached on borders and Israel must receive security guarantees. Without that, recognition makes no sense,” De Wever stressed.

During his official visit in the German capital,  De Wever left a moving message in the guestbook of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. In his note, written in German, De Wever expressed Belgium’s sympathy and respect for the Jewish community and commemorated the millions of victims of the Shoah.

De Wever wrote: “On behalf of the Belgian government and all people and communities living together in peace in Belgium, I express my deepest sympathy and my respect. We will remember all the victims. I stand here humbly at this place of remembrance. The Jewish community will always have a home in Europe.”

His gesture and words were warmly welcomed by Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA). “We sincerely thank Prime Minister De Wever for his moving message in Berlin. At a time when antisemitism is once again spreading across Europe, his clear and unwavering statement that the Jewish community will always have a home here is deeply important. Such leadership not only honors the memory of the six million victims of the Holocaust but also strengthens the sense of security and belonging for Jews in Belgium and across the continent.

”We also commend the Prime Minister’s principled leadership on Israel, where he consistently calls for security guarantees and a realistic path to peace. His voice carries moral weight in Europe, and we deeply appreciate it,” he added in a statement.