Belgium to recognize Palestinian state at UN General Assembly, joining France and others

BRUSSELS — Belgium will recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announces.

“Palestine will be recognized by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government,” Prevot writes on X.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN meeting, due to be held from September 9 to 23 in New York. More than a dozen other Western countries have since called on others to do the same.

Prevot says the decision came “in view of the humanitarian tragedy” unfolding in Gaza.

“In the face of the violence perpetrated by Israel in violation of international law, given its international obligations, including the duty to prevent any risk of genocide, Belgium had to take strong decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists,” Prevot writes.

“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 adds.

At the same time, Prevot says, “Aware of the trauma that the Israeli people have suffered from the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the administrative formalization of that recognition will take place via a royal decree” only “when the last hostage has been released and Hamas no longer exercises any form of governance over Palestine.”