There was a no show from federal government majority parties yesterday afternoon in the foreign relations committee of the house of representatives, the lower house of Belgium’s federal parliament, where three resolutions on the Middle East were on the agenda, including one on the recognition of Palestine.
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Recognition of Palestine: no show from government parties in house foreign affairs committee
Colin Clapson
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Because the minimum number of MPs was not present, the house committee could not vote. Opposition lawmakers present reacted angrily.
‘This is the kind of manoeuvre that prevents parliament from doing its work,’ complains MP Nabil Boukili (Communist PVDA). ‘As a result, all legislative initiatives here are shut down. This is unacceptable and scandalous.’
MP Kjell Vander Elst (Flemish liberal Open VLD) speaks of ‘tricks like at the fair’: ‘The fact that no member of the majority is here is a pure disgrace to parliament.’
Recognise Palestine or not?
Last weekend, CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi said Belgium should recognise the Palestinian state as soon as possible. ‘We must act decisively. We do the same with regard to Russia. I wouldn't know why we should judge these matters differently,' Mahdi said.
A few weeks ago, Flemish socialist floor leader Oskar Seuntjes (governing Vooruit) insisted that Europe should act and agree on a sanctions package against Israel.
But Georges-Louis Bouchez, leader of the governing Francophone liberal MR in particular, is offering resistance. Mr Bouchez in particular has spoken out in favour of Israel on several occasions. Clearly, government parties are not reading from the same hymn sheet when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East. That Greens speak of hypocrisy in the attitudes of governing Flemish socialist Vooruit and Flemish Christian democrat CD&V.
Mr Mahdi says that what is currently on offer among government parties is insufficient for CD&V: ‘There is little point in openly disagreeing in committee. What is happening today in Gaza and the West Bank deserves better than a soft and non-committal response.’
‘I will continue to fight with my heart and soul for the fate and recognition of people who, for the time being, are living in hell on earth,’ Mr Mahdi concludes in his Instagram post.