‘’I add my voice to all those who denounce the grave humanitarian abuses in Gaza, where innocent people are dying of hunger and falling under bombs, suffocated in their enclaves,’’ King Philippe declared without mentioning neither the hostages still held by Hamas nor the rise of antisemitism in the country.
In his annual speech in the run-up to Belgium’s national holiday on 21 July, King Philippe spoke Sunday about the many conflicts in the world and in particular the war in Gaza.
‘’I add my voice to all those who denounce the grave humanitarian abuses in Gaza, where innocent people are dying of hunger and falling under bombs, suffocated in their enclaves,’’ he said.
‘’The current situation has gone on far too long. It is a disgrace for all humanity. We support the UN Secretary General’s call for an immediate end to this unbearable crisis,’’ he added.
He mentioned that a few weeks ago, he met two fathers, one Palestinian, the other Israeli. ‘’Both share an indescribable suffering, that of having lost a child to the same conflict. I was deeply moved by their testimony. They have renounced any spirit of vengeance and chosen to bring a message of peace, a peace that would alleviate their suffering. These fathers remind us that, beyond the political dimension, it is always human dignity that is at stake. I fully endorse their plea,’’ King Philippe said, without mentioning the hostages still held in captivity by Hamas or the rise of antisemitism in Belgium in the wake of the Gaza conflict.
The King continued, “For decades, international law was the keystone on which states could rely. Today, it is openly called into question. And when international law is flouted, the whole world loses. Instability and violence are given free rein”.
‘’The world is experiencing an upsurge in conflicts that we thought belonged to a bygone era,” he noted, adding that ‘against this backdrop, Europe continues to choose cooperation over confrontation. The choice of openness, not exclusion. It’s a remarkable choice, sometimes a difficult one, and one that requires courage.”
Speaking in the parliament earlier this week, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said his government does not rule out sanctions against Israel if the humanitarian situation on the ground does not improve.
The government “is united” in its belief that the suffering in Gaza “must stop as soon as possible,” he said. “As a government, we put the focus on the humanitarian situation on the ground.”
However, the government is divided over what position to take in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot from ‘Les Engagés’ centrist party said that he wanted to plead for a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement at a meeting of his fellow European foreign ministers last Tuesday, but received no mandate from the government to do so.
De Wever said his country follows European High Foreign Representative Kaja Kallas, who is in dialogue with the Israeli government to improve the humanitarian aid to Gaza. “Europe is the only way to be able to send a clear signal,” the Prime Minister said.