On Sunday, the Flemish government once again failed to reach an agreement on possible measures against Israel. After less than three hours of talks, the core of the Diependaele administration broke up without reaching an agreement, reports 24brussels.
Despite the lack of consensus, the office of minister president Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) stated that progress had been made and discussions are scheduled to resume on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Diependaele sharply criticized a resolution proposed unilaterally by coalition parties CD&V and Vooruit that calls for sanctions against Israel. In an interview on VRT’s De Ochtend, he labeled the resolution as “reckless.”
Diependaele reiterated his earlier statement questioning “who the bigger bastard is: Hamas or Israel,” which CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi called shameful. “I stand by it,” Diependaele asserted. “I have received a flood of hate mail from both sides, but my concern is for the innocent victims who are dying from violence and hunger.”
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Flemish Parliament is set to meet on Tuesday to vote on the CD&V and Vooruit resolution. This meeting is perceived as a critical deadline for the governing coalition to achieve a consensus. A failure to do so may trigger a political crisis.
