Belgium to recognize Palestinian state, top diplomat says
Belgium is set to recognize the Palestinian state at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly later this month, becoming the latest nation to do so in recent weeks as the pressure mounts on Israel over its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
“Given the humanitarian drama unfolding in Palestine and particularly in Gaza, and in the face of the violence committed by Israel in violation of international law, taking into account its international obligations including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and the terrorists of Hamas,” Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said in lengthy post Monday night on social platform X.
“This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people, but about ensuring that international and humanitarian law is respected by its government and acting in the hope of evolving the situation on the ground,” Prevot added.
The foreign minister outlined a couple of conditions that need to be met for the recognition to take place. He said that all hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas need to be released and that the group, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government, “no longer exercises any form of governance over Palestine.”
Belgium plans to recognize the Palestinian state during a joint diplomatic push by Saudi Arabia and France, a way to condemn Israeli “expansionist ambitions, with its colonization programs and military occupations.”
Brussels would join Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and France, all of which have expressed intentions to recognize Palestinian statehood.
President Trump hammered Canada’s decision to support an independent Palestinian state, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized France’s intention as a “reckless decision [that] only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.”
Prevot said in the announcement that Belgium would slap 12 sanctions on Israel, including a ban on importing products originating from Israeli settlements and listing two “extremist” Israeli ministers as “persona non gratae” in Brussels. Apart from the two unnamed ministers, “several violent settlers” and Hamas leaders would be slapped with the same designation.
The recognition also comes as the U.S. suspended approval for most types of visitor visas for Palestinian passport holders.
“Every visa decision is a national security decision, and the State Department is vetting and adjudicating visa decisions for PA passport holders accordingly,” a State Department spokesperson said.
Most UN nations recognize a Palestinian state, a designation that Israel has opposed, arguing it would present a danger to the country’s security.