Lahbib sows confusion about the Belgian position on the recognition of Palestine
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will clarify the Belgian position regarding the recognition of Palestine in Parliament. This is necessary because Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib had caused confusion about this in the House Committee on Foreign Relations on Tuesday.
Belgium has decided to withdraw from a group of like-minded EU countries on the recognition of Palestine. That’s what Lahbib said. In concrete terms, Lahbib pointed to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who is said to have made that decision during the last European Council. The fact that Spain had started to express itself more forcefully on the Palestinian issue in recent months and pushed for a common European position during the EU summit did not benefit the dynamics in the group, Lahbib explained, and so everyone pulled outside Ireland and Slovenia withdrew from the clique.
Lahbib’s statements were qualified later in the day until ‘Belgium has decided not to participate in a meeting’ of the countries involved, but in the meantime the impression was created that Belgium is distancing itself from the Spanish position. And while our country has also played a pioneering role in the debate in recent months, and De Croo went to Israel in December together with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to press for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The majority reacted with surprise on Tuesday. “Just at the moment when Israel is bombing hospitals in Gaza and mass graves are being discovered there, the minister announces this. I really don’t understand that,” said Wouter De Vriendt (Green). “Her answer fuels the confusion. However, the recognition of Palestine is desperately needed in view of a two-state solution.” “We do not agree with the withdrawal from the group of like-minded countries,” says Els Van Hoof (CD&V). “Belgium has a pioneering role and must continue to play it.” PS faction leader Ahmed Laaouej spoke to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo about it on Wednesday morning. “Clarification is necessary,” it said. “We will not accept such a turnaround.”
The subject was also discussed at the core cabinet on Wednesday afternoon and the Prime Minister will provide clarification in Parliament on Thursday. There is no agreement on the issue within the government: six of the seven parties are in favor of recognizing the Palestinian state, but for the MR this is not possible as long as there is no state structure.
