The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prévot, recognized on Wednesday in Parliament that he had not been able to convince all his government partners to plead the day before at the European level for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
“I am not used to lying. No, I did not have a mandate of the government to plead yesterday the suspension of the association agreement, and it is not for lack of having requested it. I considered that the time had come to make this proposal, the Kern seized it. He himself must be able to decide in a consensus manner, it is sometimes delicate to teach Europe when, in his own government, this consensual approach cannot be reached, “he explained before the Chamber’s External Relations Committee.
The head of diplomacy did not appoint the political partners who blocked his request but called on parliamentarians to plead “within their structure” so that Belgium requests be “in consistency with the situation”.
The N-VA and the MR, reluctant to any sanction towards Israel, are more particularly targeted. MP Charlotte Deborsu (MR) was taken to task when she spoke. “I heard your message,” she said, believing that “we had to get 2nd, 3rd, 6th”. “It is more than time to put pressure on Israel,” she said, without convincing her colleagues.
