Trump’s Ambassador to Belgium Is Summoned After Accusing Officials of Antisemitism
The diplomat, Bill White, met with a foreign ministry official at a time of rising tensions between the U.S. and countries in Europe.
By Jeanna Smialek and Koba Ryckewaert
Reporting from Brussels
Belgium’s government summoned President Trump’s ambassador after he accused his host nation of an antisemitic action and criticized a Belgian official in a series of posts on social media.
The meeting on Tuesday between the ambassador, Bill White, and a representative from Belgium’s foreign office came at a moment of heightened tension as the Trump administration paints governments across Europe as out of line with American values.
Mr. White criticized Belgium on Monday on social media over an investigation in Antwerp into a few Jewish mohels who perform ritual circumcision, and who the authorities say may be carrying out procedures without medical training.
Mr. White wrote on X that Belgium should drop what he called a “RIDICULOUS AND ANTI SEMITIC ‘PROSECUTION.’” He tagged Mr. Trump and the American vice president and the secretary of state, among others.
“You must make a legal provision to allow Jewish religious MOHELS to perform their duties here in Belgium,” Mr. White added, addressing the Belgian health minister.
Circumcision is far less common in Europe than in the United States and Israel and different countries regulate it in different ways. In Belgium, laws mandate that all medical procedures must be performed by a licensed doctor, said Arne Brinckman, a representative for Belgium’s health minister.
The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office put out a news release about the case in May and confirmed on Tuesday that the investigation was continuing. Kristof Aerts, a representative for the office, did not elaborate but noted that there were no “ongoing prosecutions.”
Maxime Prévot, Belgium’s foreign minister, responded at length to Mr. White on X, saying that “personal attacks against a Belgian minister and interference in judicial matters violate basic diplomatic norms.”
“Any suggestion that Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable,” Mr. Prévot wrote in the post, on Monday evening.
A statement from the Belgian foreign ministry after the meeting — which included Mr. White and Theodora Gentzis, the secretary general of the Belgian foreign ministry — underlined its stance. Mr. Prévot was not present because he is traveling, Mr. White said and Mr. Prévot’s office confirmed.
“Belgium attaches great importance to its relations with the United States of America. This partnership remains essential and we remain open to dialogue,” the statement said. “However, this dialogue must be based on respect for our institutions and our sovereignty.”
On Tuesday morning, Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, also weighed in on social media.
“I understand that the mirror Ambassador @BillWhiteUSA has held up to you is unpleasant, but one might want to take this opportunity to take a hard look in that mirror and acknowledge reality,” he wrote.
Mr. White said in an interview that he does not think Belgium is antisemitic. He said he had previously held private conversations about the issue with Belgian officials, and was frustrated by the slow progress.
He said that he does not want the government to interfere in the judicial system by forcing it to drop the case, but that he would like government officials to speak in support of the men under investigation.
Most governments in Europe and other democracies avoid becoming involved in their judicial systems, out of deference to judicial independence.
Mr. White noted that Charles Kushner, Mr. Trump’s ambassador to France, faced a similar summons last year after complaining about what Mr. Kushner characterized as France’s failure to stem antisemitism in a letter to President Emmanuel Macron. The French foreign ministry denied the accusations.
Mr. White said his own meeting with the foreign ministry was “very nice.”
“I did not apologize for anything,” Mr. White said. “Nor would I.”
Koba Ryckewaert is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Brussels.