Belgium announced that it will recognize Palestine as a state at the next UN General Assembly

Belgium’s government announced Monday that it will recognize Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, joining a growing list of countries that have taken the same step. "Palestine will be recognized by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government," Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X. Prevot is known for his outspoken criticism of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Belgian government’s decision follows the lead of France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, announced in July that his country would officially recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly session taking place Sept. 9–23 in New York. Since Macron’s announcement, more than a dozen Western nations have urged others to take the same step.

Threats to his own government

Prevot’s announcement came after the minister warned last Monday that he would block several initiatives by partners in Belgium’s government if some coalition parties continued to block Brussels from recognizing Palestine as a state and from taking a stronger, more critical stance toward Israel over its war in Gaza against Hamas.

"If there is not a firmer tone within the government regarding the human rights violations committed by the Israeli government, or if steps are not taken in favor of the recognition of Palestine, a major crisis is looming," Prevot said during an interview with the daily De Standaard. Similarly, the minister explained that "I cannot imagine Belgium joining the small club of countries that do not recognize Palestine," and then predicted that "if we miss the train, Belgium's international image will suffer."