بلجيكا: معاقبة إسرائيل والاعتراف بدولة فلسطينية يهددان الائتلاف الحاكم

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot threatened to disrupt the initiatives of the ruling coalition if two members of the alliance continued to oppose sanctions against Israel and the recognition of the Palestinian state.

He stated in press remarks today (Monday): "If the Francophone Liberal Party and the Flemish Nationalists continue their objections to taking a firm stance on Israel's violations of human rights, and if the coalition does not take any action to support the recognition of the State of Palestine, then the ruling coalition will face a deep crisis."

The Foreign Minister's warning comes two days before the extraordinary meeting called by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, which is set to take place the day after tomorrow (Wednesday), aimed at reaching a unified position among coalition parties regarding sanctions against Israel and the issue of recognizing the State of Palestine.

The division within the ruling coalition regarding the Palestinian issue paves the way for Foreign Minister Maxim Prevot to contribute to ongoing discussions at the European level concerning the Palestinian cause. Issues of sanctions against Israel, recognition of the Palestinian state, and the war in Ukraine are set to dominate the discussions among EU foreign ministers on Friday and Saturday in Denmark.

The Belgian Foreign Minister is preparing a decision to ban the entry of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The decision is expected to be presented during an emergency government session next Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country, along with Saudi Arabia, will co-chair the two-state solution conference in New York next September, affirming that Riyadh and Paris are moving towards establishing a binding path that enhances the recognition of the State of Palestine and achieves opportunities for regional peace.

The United Nations hosted the two-state solution coalition conference last June, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, which adopted the final document aimed at enshrining solutions for establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital based on the 1967 borders.

Macron revealed that his country would officially recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly sessions last September.

Alongside France, Canada and Australia, both members of the G20, as well as Andorra, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, and Spain, announced their readiness to recognize the Palestinian state.