Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever has responded to criticism from the U.S. ambassador Bill White and the Israeli foreign minister, rejecting claims that Belgium is an antisemitic state. Ahead of the annual Holocaust commemoration organised by the Forum of Jewish Organisations, De Wever declared
Belgium is not an antisemitic state; that is nonsense.
The controversy emerged after Belgian prosecutors considered proceedings against two Jewish circumcisers over allegedly illegal circumcisions. De Wever stressed that Belgium’s constitutional system is based on the separation of powers, arguing that the executive cannot interfere in judicial processes.
‘Weak’ De Wever added that religious freedom must be reconciled with national law, stating:
Circumcision is essential to the Jewish faith and Islam, but so are the quality standards of our legislation. You have to reconcile the two. What you must not do is create a whole social controversy around it with inflammatory statements about antisemitism.
Separately, the Belgian government announced increased security measures for Jewish institutions across the country. Defence and Federal Police forces will be deployed to protect synagogues and Jewish schools nationwide following a series of antisemitic incidents in Belgium and other European countries.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin and Defence Minister Theo Francken confirmed that soldiers will work alongside police, with operations starting as soon as possible. The decision follows an explosion near a synagogue in Liège on March 9th, as well as related incidents in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Oslo, including arson and blasts targeting Jewish and diplomatic sites.