Belgian Coalition Averts Crisis With Move To Recognise Palestine

Belgium’s government reached a deal to recognize Palestine as a state and adopt punitive measures against Israel, avoiding a political crisis over an issue that had split the governing coalition.

The country will announce the step at the UN General Assembly this month as part of a broader initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said in a post on X. However, the recognition of Palestinian statehood will only take formal effect “once the last hostage has been released and Hamas no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot added. 

Belgium will also take a number of measures against Israel due to “the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine” and “in response to the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law,” Prévot said.

These include a ban on importing products from illegal settlements, restrictions on consular assistance to Belgians living there, and a ban on the use of Belgian airspace by the Israeli military. Two Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Hamas leaders and some Israeli settlers will be designated as “personae non gratae” in Belgium. 

Belgium, a country of 12 million people which hosts the headquarters of the European Union and NATO, will also back any EU action to limit cooperation with Israel, the foreign minister said. The EU remains divided on Israel-Gaza policy, despite calls from some member states and the European Commission for the bloc to revise its association agreement with Israel, which governs trade. 

At the same time, “any antisemitism or glorification of terrorism by Hamas supporters will also be more strongly condemned,” said Prévot, a member of the liberal Les Engagés party.

Belgium’s five-party coalition, led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s nationalist party N-VA, had been split on the issue of Israel, with some parties like French-speaking liberals Les Engagés calling for stronger action over the situation in Gaza.

Policy toward Israel has become a point of political division across Europe. The government of neighboring Netherlands came near to collapse when a party pulled out of the governing coalition after failing to secure sanctions against Israel.