Belgium FM urges Palestine recognition before 'nothing left’
Maxime Prevot warns that failing to recognize Palestine would leave Belgium among a small minority of EU states yet to do so
Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot told parliament on 14 August that the country must urgently recognize the state of Palestine during an emergency debate on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Prevot noted that the coalition government agreed in February to move toward recognition but has yet to act.
“If Belgium does not make progress towards official recognition in September, there will soon be nothing left to recognise,” he said, warning that delay would erode Belgium’s standing on the two-state solution.
He called for economic sanctions on Israel and urged that Israeli far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich be placed on a Belgian “blacklist” barring them from entry, following similar measures by the UK, Norway, and three other states in June.
Targeted sanctions, he argued, have historically been “an effective lever” in situations of serious violence. The foreign minister pressed for a recognition plan ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, ideally in coordination with France.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever did not convene a cabinet meeting on Gaza, frustrating coalition partners from political parties Les Engagés, CD&V, and Vooruit, who support rapid recognition.
Liberal MR, a French-speaking liberal party in Belgium, and De Wever’s N-VA oppose the move, claiming conditions have not been met and sanctions would fail without US support.
De Wever is currently on holiday in South Africa, and no decision on the issue is expected to be made yet.
Prevot vowed to mobilize coalition allies, framing the decision as a matter of law, conscience, and moral obligation.
He warned that inaction would leave Belgium among a “minority” of EU states that have not recognized Palestine – a move that Israel has met with threats of escalationand public condemnation.
Rejecting claims that recognition rewards Hamas, he said it is “a bonus for the Palestinian Authority, not for Hamas.”
“It strengthens the peaceful struggle. The recognition of a state is neither a reward nor a weapon,” he added.
The foreign minister also submitted a draft Royal Decree tightening Belgium’s 2009 ban on arms sales to Israel and Palestine to include overflight restrictions.
Nearly 800 Belgian nationals and recognized refugees have been evacuated from Gaza, which Prevot described as an “extremely complicated” operation requiring secure corridors, identity verification, and coordinated repatriation.