Michael Freilich, the sole Jewish member of the Belgian federal parliament and a member of the Prime Minister’s party, regretted ‘’that matters have come to this’’. He stressed that ‘’ De Wever has always been a true friend of the Jewish people and a consistent defender of Israel’s right to self-defense.’’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever as‘’a weak leader who seeks to appease Islamic terrorism by sacrificing Israel,’’ in a post on X published by his office in reaction to Belgium’s governent decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. later this month.
‘’He wants to feed the terrorist crocodile before it devours Belgium. Israel won’t go along and will continue to defend itself,’’ the post adds.
On Monday, following a meeting of the restraint cabinet, ‘Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced that his country is committed to recognising a Palestinian state in due course but it has attached important conditions to this recognition.
In practice, the recognition will only happen by royal decree once the last Israeli hostage has been released and terrorist groups such as Hamas have been removed from the Palestinian administration. There are still 48 hostages held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza
Mindful of these conditions, Belgium will join the signatories of the ‘’New York Declaration’’ which advocates a two-state solution and will recognize a Palestinian state during the joint initiative of France and Saudi Arabia later this month at the UN General Assembly in New York. Pr2vot called the move a “powerful political and diplomatic signal.”
Prévot said Belgium had decided on the move to preserve the two-state solution and to “mark the condemnation of Israel’s expansionist ambitions, with its colonization programs and military occupations.’’
However, noting “the trauma suffered by the Israeli people as a result of the terror attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023,” the minister said that a royal decree that will formally recognize “Palestine” would only be signed after all hostages are freed and Hamas is removed from power.
The Foreign Minister also announced 12 measures against Israel including a ban on imports from Jewish communities in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), limits on consular aid to Belgians living in the disputed region and restrictions on government contracts with Israeli companies, as well as entry bans targeting “two extremist Israeli ministers, several violent settlers and Hamas leaders.”
He also said Belgium will also continue to push at the European Union level for the suspension of all cooperation with Jerusalem, which needs a qualified majority woithin the EU, including the association agreement and joint research programs as well as technical cooperation. He pointed out that a qualified majority in the EU for a suspension of the cooperation.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, who is from the Flemish nationalist conservative N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) heads since Januaryn a coalition of French and Flemish-speaking parties deeply divided on Israel. During a press conference in Berlin on August 26 he stressed that “Hamas must disappear completely” before Belgium would recognize a Palestinian state.
Michael Freilich, the sole Jewish member of the Belgian federal parliament and a member of the Prime Minister’s party, regretted ‘’that matters have come to this’’. He said that ‘’ De Wever has always been a true friend of the Jewish people and a consistent defender of Israel’s right to self-defense.’’
‘’The Belgian government agreement makes clear that any formal recognition of Palestine is subject to strict conditions — the release of all hostages and the dismantling of Hamas — the very same objectives pursued by the Netanyahu government,’’ he added on X.
‘’ Belgium is therefore not opting for a French-style unilateral recognition. Belgium remains, in my view, a steadfast ally of all those who strive for peace and genuine coexistence,’’ Freilich concluded.