Belgium will recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) later this month, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot has announced. “Palestine will be recognised by Belgium at the UN session! And firm sanctions will be imposed against the Israeli government,” Prevot, who is also the deputy prime minister, wrote on the social media platform X early on Tuesday. Israel will face 12 sanctions from Belgium, Prevot said, including a ban on the import of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and “a review of public procurement policies with Israeli companies”. Tamer Qarmout, associate professor at the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that tough, comprehensive sanctions on Israel were required – as well as further pressure on Washington – “especially when we have this perfect alignment between the American administration and the Israeli government”.
