Belgium to recognize Palestine, sanction Israel

https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-to-recognize-palestine-sanction-israel/

Posted by Firecracker048

5 comments

  1. >Belgium will join the group of countries that will recognize the state of Palestine at this month’s U.N. General Assembly and will impose sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced overnight.

    >The recognition of Palestine would only be formalized if Hamas releases all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and the militant group “no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot said.

    My personal take? These European nations are doing more for the Palestine cause than any western pro Palestinian group. They actually require Hamas to have no role in the future of Palestine, something no western group has demanded

  2. In this conflict its really important to distinguish what is said for the domestic audience and the actual behaviour of a country.

    The West (collectively speaking) are under pressure domestically to act in the Palestine/Israel conflict.

    Israel was given an implicit “green light” to go to war with Hamas after the October attacks. But that green light was only ever going to stretch as far as their domestic audience would allow it.

    Geopolitically the West, and the US in particular, know that the Iranian influence that has gripped the region is weakening. Iran was always a counter weight to US soft power in the region. Israel and its actions have been absolutely key to eroding the Iranian grip and expanding US soft power.

    That is why on one level you see the West “punishing” Israel by threatening to recognise a token Palestinian state, but on the other fully endorse Israeli military action in the region. The West could really put the pressure on Israel if they wanted to, but, its in their best interests to keep Israel going and Israel knows this full well.

  3. It is interesting how countries like spain and france have announced or already enacted an unconditional recognition of palestine, while belgium demands that Hamas has no role in managing Palestine

    France and Spain are powerful european states, and have taken a much bolder anti israeli stance, one that, while recognizing the PA as the goverment of palestine, doesnt wait for conditions to change to change recognition, meanwhile Belgium is a small country that has significantly less leverage than the other two heavyweights, and has a very pro palestinian anti israeli population, and yet has not managed to take a punitive enough stance

    The case of portugal and belgium is honestly surprising, as usually it is the big influential countries like spain the ones that tend to hesitate more as their attitudes do change the international position, and yet in western europe it is the small countries the ones that hesitate the most

  4. “The recognition of Palestine would only be formalized if Hamas releases all remaining Israeli hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and the militant group “no longer has any role in managing Palestine,” Prévot said.”

    Canada had the same conditions. Pro palestinian groups called it “colonial imperialist meddling in Palestinian affairs”. A new “Sykes-Picot”, etc etc. Im sure Belgium will get the same amount of love…

  5. Israel should recognize Flanders and Wallonia, and support their citizens’ will to join The Netherlands and France.

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