Belgium Moves Toward Recognizing Palestine, Sets Key Conditions

Belgium is set to join over 140 countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announced on Tuesday, escalating tensions with Israel amid its ongoing offensive in Gaza. Speaking ahead of the United Nations General Assembly on September 9, Prevot revealed that Belgium’s recognition is conditional on two key demands: the release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the removal of Hamas from political control in the region. These stipulations make immediate formalization unlikely but signal a significant shift in European diplomacy.

Prevot also unveiled measures targeting Israeli actions, including a ban on goods from West Bank settlements and designating Hamas leaders, violent settlers, and two far-right Israeli ministers—National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—as persona non grata. “This is not about sanctioning the Israeli people but ensuring their government respects international and humanitarian law,” Prevot posted on X, urging the European Union to suspend its trade pact with Israel, known as the Association Agreement, to increase pressure.

The announcement drew a sharp rebuke from Ben Gvir, who warned, “The self-righteous European countries manipulated by Hamas will discover terrorism on their own flesh.” Israel’s government, which has long opposed Palestinian statehood, argues that such recognition rewards Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. The move aligns Belgium with nations like France, the UK, Australia, and Canada, which have also signaled plans to recognize Palestine, often tying it to reforms in the Palestinian Authority, widely viewed as corrupt and ineffective among Palestinians.

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Israel’s war in Gaza, now in its second year, has strained EU relations, igniting protests and fracturing political coalitions in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands. Despite these tensions, Israel maintains robust military, business, and academic ties with Europe. Belgium’s stance reflects growing international frustration with Israel’s policies, particularly in the occupied West Bank, annexed East Jerusalem, and Gaza—territories Palestinians seek for an independent state, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Prevot’s conditions for recognition underscore the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Hamas’ control of Gaza and the hostage crisis posing significant hurdles. The Palestinian Authority, expected to govern postwar Gaza, faces skepticism over its capacity, while Israel opposes its expanded role. As Belgium prepares to formalize its position at the UN, the move adds diplomatic pressure on Israel, amplifying global calls for a two-state solution amid an increasingly volatile regional landscape.

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