Belgium To Recognize Palestine, Impose Sanctions on Israel
By SheerPost - The Cradle - September 3, 2025
Belgium will join France in recognizing a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in New York this month, the country’s foreign minister announced on 2 September.
“Palestine will be recognized by Belgium during the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed on the Israeli government. Any antisemitism or glorification of terrorism by Hamas supporters will also be more strongly condemned,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot in a post on X.
As of September 2025, 147 of the 193 UN member states have recognized the State of Palestine.
“In view of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Palestine, particularly in Gaza, and in light 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 bold decisions to increase pressure on the Israeli government and the Hamas terrorists,” he added.
“This is not about penalizing the Israeli people, but about ensuring that their government respects international and humanitarian law and taking action to try to change the situation on the ground.”
“Twelve strong national sanctions have been enacted, including: banning imports from the settlements; revising public procurement policies with Israeli companies; restricting consular assistance to Belgians living in settlements deemed illegal under international law; potential judicial proceedings; bans on overflight and transit; designating two extremist Israeli ministers [Smotrich and Ben Gvir], several violent settlers, and Hamas leaders as ‘persona non grata’ in our country,” he went on to say.
Prevot referred to his country’s decision as a “strong diplomatic and political gesture to preserve the chances for a two-state solution, and to mark condemnation of Israel’s expansionist tendencies.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) said it “welcomes” Belgium’s plan.
France announced in late July that it plans to recognize Palestine at the upcoming UN session. Australia and Malta have also signaled they are gearing up to do the same.
Israel has rapidly accelerated settlement expansion and plans to illegally annex the occupied West Bank as a response to the recent revival of the idea of Palestinian statehood and France’s vow to recognize a state of Palestine on 9 September.
In August, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the unfreezing of the E1 settlement project, which has been frozen for decades as a result of strong opposition from the international community.
It aims to link occupied East Jerusalem – viewed as integral to any future Palestinian state – to the illegal Maale Adumim settlement.
“Today, anyone in the world who tries to recognize a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground. Today we are writing a historic chapter in the story of the redemption of the people of Israel in their land,” the finance minister said at the time.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a session on 2 September to discuss imposing Israeli “sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank, Hebrew media reported.
In late July, lawmakers in Israel’s Knesset voted 71-13 in favor of a motion calling for annexing the occupied West Bank.
