Belgian Organizations Demand Immediate Government Action on Gaza Situation
Dozens of organizations are urging coalition parties Vooruit, CD&V, and Les Engagés to take immediate action regarding the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement, they declared, “Empty words are worse than complicit silence: take action today!” The statement, signed by notable figures from Belgium’s cultural, scientific, social, sporting, and religious communities, alongside hundreds of citizens, emphasizes the urgency of the situation.
The organizations denounce the ‘televised genocide’ and assert that official reports, statistics, and the positions of international courts highlight the extent of the crimes committed by the Israeli army in Palestine.
Among those voicing demands for action are socialist and Christian trade unions, mutual societies, the Palestinian collective Beitna, the Union of Progressive Jews of Belgium, the Anti-Zionist Jewish Alliance Belgium, Oxfam, Greenpeace, the League for Human Rights, CNCD-11.11.11, Beweging.net, and BelRefugees.
They call for the government to implement concrete measures similar to those taken by other EU countries, including Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
The organizations propose several actions, including the immediate recognition of Palestine, an embargo on the production and transit of weapons, expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, and exclusion of Israel from the Swift payment system.
“Empty words are worse than complicit silence: take action today”
While they acknowledge slight progress in the positions of these parties, they criticize the absence of tangible actions.
“Three of the five governing parties represent the majority in the government,” they state, urging the government to take “courageous and immediate action,” even if it risks causing a government crisis in Belgium.
Lack of Sanctions a Point of Contention
They voiced that “the two parties in their government denying the genocide is not our choice but theirs.”
CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi recently expressed frustration over the lack of sanctions against Israel, reinforcing that, while Belgium, as a small nation, may not be able to resolve the crisis alone, it can serve as a catalyst for broader action.
Francophone liberals MR and, to a lesser extent, Flemish nationalists N-VA, both part of the governing coalition, oppose recognizing Palestine and imposing sanctions on Israel.
According to UN reports, nearly 1,400 Palestinians have died since the end of May in the Gaza Strip, primarily due to Israeli military actions while seeking humanitarian aid.
“Since May 27, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while searching for food,” reported the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, as cited by AFP. “Most of these killings were committed by the Israeli army.”
A variety of individuals have also signed the letter, including writers Dalila Hermans and Tom Lanoye, director of the Hannah Arendt Institute Christophe Busch, Groen politicians Nadia Naji and Celia Groothedde, former Children’s Rights Commissioner Ankie Vandekerkhove, human rights activist Samira Atillah, and ULB professor Dirk Jacobs.
Reports and protests regarding the ongoing humanitarian crisis continue to escalate as organizations and individuals within Belgium push for government accountability and action. 24brussels.
