The flag of the State of Israel is flying once again at Antwerp City Hall. The hoisting occurred slightly earlier than planned. The flag was raised on Wednesday morning as part of the traditional flagging ceremony ahead of the summer tourist season, but its presence has divided the ruling parties on Antwerp city council. Governing Flemish socialist Vooruit is calling for the flag to be removed following the events in Gaza, but coalition partner Flemish nationalist N-VA is refusing to do so.
It’s almost exactly a year ago that an Israeli flag on Antwerp City Hall sparked much debate. That same debate now seems set to flare up again with the start of the summer tourist season.
The Israeli flag is flying once again at city hall and this is against the wishes of governing Vooruit. “We are not happy with this,” says Karim Bachar, alderman responsible for Youth Policies, the Environment and Community Development. “We do not want this flag here and believe it sends the wrong message.”
“Israel is violating human rights,” Bachar continues. “We have been asking for talks for months and have already put forward numerous alternatives, such as a peace flag or a European Union flag. It’s a shame that they’re simply following protocol” he said in reference to coalition partner N-VA.
Diplomatic representation
According to protocol, the flags of all countries with diplomatic representation in Antwerp are flown at city hall. This includes Israel. In addition, the flags of the European Union member states also fly on Antwerp’s historic and much visited market square.
At the city council meeting in May, Mayor Els van Doesburg (Flemish nationalist N-VA) responded by saying that she understands the conflict in the Middle East is stirring up emotions in the city. “However, the flagging of city hall is carried out in accordance with a neutral protocol, in line with the federal government’s diplomatic relations,” Van Doesburg said.