The Media Line: Belgium Joins Western Push To Recognize Palestinian State, Announces Sanctions Against Israel 

Belgium Joins Western Push To Recognize Palestinian State, Announces Sanctions Against Israel 

By The Media Line Staff 

Belgium will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announced on Monday. 

“Palestine will be recognized by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government,” Prevot wrote on X, adding that the move is intended to increase pressure on Jerusalem. The UN gathering is scheduled for September 9–23 in New York. 

 

Alongside the declaration, Belgium will also enforce what Prevot described as “firm sanctions” against Israel’s government, including restrictions on imports from West Bank settlements and the possibility of judicial proceedings targeting Israeli officials. 

Prevot linked the decision to what he called “the humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza, arguing that Belgium had to take “strong decisions” in light of what he described as Israel’s violations of international law. 

The foreign minister also stressed the decision was not directed against Israelis themselves. “This is not about punishing the Israeli people, but rather about ensuring that its government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground,” he said. 

At the same time, Prevot acknowledged the trauma suffered by Israelis during the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023. He said that while the political declaration would be made at the UN, Belgium would delay formal recognition through a royal decree until all hostages are released and Hamas no longer holds authority in Gaza. 

The Belgian move follows similar announcements by France, the UK, Canada, and Australia. French President Emmanuel Macron declared in July that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state during the same UN session. More than a dozen Western governments have since urged others to take the same step. 

Israel’s foreign ministry and its embassy in Brussels did not immediately comment, though Jerusalem previously warned that such recognition by the UK amounted to a “reward for Hamas.”