{"id":89461,"date":"2025-09-02T03:22:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T08:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=89461"},"modified":"2025-09-04T06:56:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:56:37","slug":"belgium-ties-recognition-of-palestine-to-hamas-ouster-hostage-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/belgium-ties-recognition-of-palestine-to-hamas-ouster-hostage-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium ties recognition of \u2018Palestine\u2019 to Hamas ouster, hostage release"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By JNS STAFF<\/p>\n<p>(<em>JNS.org<\/em>) \u2013 Belgium said on Tuesday that it will recognize a Palestinian state at this month\u2019s U.N. General Assembly, but that the recognition would only go into effect after Hamas is removed from power in the Gaza Strip and the 48 remaining hostages it holds are released.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_89462\" style=\"width: 218px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89462\" class=\"wp-image-89462 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot-208x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot-208x300.jpg 208w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot.jpg 599w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 208px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 208\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89462\" class=\"wp-image-89462 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot-208x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot-208x300.jpg 208w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Belgian_Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_Maxime_Prevot.jpg 599w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-89462\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Belgium Foreign Minister Maxime Pr\u00e9vot. (Photo via Wikipedia)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cBelgium will recognize Palestine during the joint initiative of France and Saudi Arabia,\u201d Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Pr\u00e9vot tweeted Tuesday, calling the move a \u201cpowerful political and diplomatic signal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pr\u00e9vot also unveiled a slate of 12 sanctions targeting the Jewish state.<\/p>\n<p>Brussels decided on the move to preserve the two-state solution and to \u201cmark the condemnation of Israel\u2019s expansionist ambitions, with its colonization programs and military occupations,\u201d stated Pr\u00e9vot.<\/p>\n<p>However, noting \u201cthe trauma suffered by the Israeli people as a result of the terror attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023,\u201d Brussels\u2019 top diplomat said that the royal decree that will formally recognize \u201cPalestine\u201d would only be signed after all captives are freed and Hamas is removed from power.<\/p>\n<p>The 12 other measures against Israel include a ban on imports from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, limits on consular aid to Belgians living in the disputed region and restrictions on government contracts with Israeli companies, as well as entry bans targeting \u201ctwo extremist Israeli ministers, several violent settlers and Hamas leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Belgium will also continue to push at the European Union level for the suspension of all cooperation with Jerusalem, including the association agreement and joint research programs, Pr\u00e9vot stated.<\/p>\n<p>Pr\u00e9vot claimed that \u201cthe point is not to sanction the Israeli people, but to ensure that its government respects international and humanitarian law and to act in the hope of improving the situation on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bart De Wever, Belgium\u2019s center-right prime minister, who heads a coalition of parties deeply divided on Israel, said during a press conference on Aug. 26 that \u201cHamas must disappear completely\u201d before Brussels would recognize a Palestinian state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere must be a credible Palestinian Authority, an agreement must be reached on borders, and Israel must receive security guarantees,\u201d De Wever told reporters. A recognition of \u201cPalestine\u201d would be \u201cpointless and counterproductive\u201d unless these points are addressed, he added.<\/p>\n<p>France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and Canada are among the Western nations that have joined plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations amid diplomatic tensions with Israel over its war on Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a July 25 statement condemned the French-led initiative \u201cto recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre\u201d by Hamas terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuch a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,\u201d Netanyahu stated. \u201cA Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel\u2014not to live in peace beside it. Let\u2019s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel. They seek a state instead of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CNN cited three Israeli officials as saying on Monday that Jerusalem was considering steps in retaliation for the moves against it, including extending sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu held an initial discussion on sovereignty last week, but the Security Cabinet has yet to discuss the matter in detail and no decision had been made as of Monday, the three officials told CNN.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer have reportedly told France, the United Kingdom and others that their moves could lead Israel to annex Judea and Samaria\u2019s Area C and legalize outposts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnilateral moves against Israel will be met with unilateral moves by Israel,\u201d Sa\u2019ar told his counterparts, per an Israel Hayom report in May.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 70% of Israelis want Jerusalem to extend full legal sovereignty over the disputed territory, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"Belgium%20ties%20recognition%20of%20%E2%80%98Palestine%E2%80%99%20to%20Hamas%20ouster%2C%20hostage%20release\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":89462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,27],"tags":[1980,8781,8790,8795,8788,1176],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89461"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89463,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89461\/revisions\/89463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}