The Belgian government has announced that it will officially recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The country's Foreign Minister, Maxim Prevo, made this announcement. According to him, Belgium will join countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Australia with this decision.
At the same time, strict sanctions against Israel are expected to be imposed. These sanctions may include banning the import of products from Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the possibility of initiating legal proceedings.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassy in Belgium have not yet responded to this news. Earlier, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the plan to recognize Palestine in London a "reward for HAMAS."
In July, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer outlined several conditions for Israel: to stop the severe situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, restore the possibility of a two-state solution, allow the UN to deliver humanitarian aid, and prevent new annexations in the West Bank. The UN General Assembly will begin in New York on September 9.
Ireland, Spain, and Norway have already recognized Palestine as a state. As of March 2024, 147 out of 193 UN members have officially recognized Palestine.
Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to build a new residential settlement in the West Bank, emphasizing that this step will completely eliminate the idea of Palestinian statehood. Additionally, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled the visas of 81 representatives of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization.
This restricts their ability to participate in the UN General Assembly. It should be noted that the 1947 UN agreement stipulates that the US must allow foreign diplomats to attend meetings in New York, but Washington has the right to refuse visas citing security and foreign policy reasons.
