The Federal inner cabinet has agreed that for the time being at least Belgium will not be granting official recognition to Palestine as a state. Earlier on Wednesday, Norway, Spain and Ireland announced that they would recognise Palestine as a separate state.
After various European states announced that they would be recognising Palestine as a state on Wednesday, Belgium’s Inner Cabinet discussed what position our country would be taking.
According to Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib (Francophone liberal), recognition itself is not up for discussion. "The real question is whether we will do this immediately, as a symbolic act. Or are we going to do it in a meaningful way, with rights for the Palestinians?" The Federal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) added that the Belgian Government is now waiting for the right moment.
After hours of discussions the Inner Cabinet announced that a decision on Belgian recognition of a Palestinian state would be postponed. "We now want to continue working and use the opportunity that Belgium currently has as EU chair to mediate and find a solution," Ms Lahbib stressed.