The president of Vooruit, Conner Rousseau, undertook on Friday to make the situation in Gaza a question of government, report several unions. He positively answered the two questions posed by the organizations signatory to the appeal launched on Friday morning. These urge Vooruit, the committed and the CD&V to take action: to claim the Council of Ministers the recognition of the State of Palestine, sanctions against Israel and the prohibition of weapons transfer, and, in the event of blocking within the majority, to seek an alternative parliamentary majority.
“He confirmed to us that he would ask for a government meeting in this sense before the parliamentary committee on August 14,” said Felipe Van Keirsbilck, secretary general of the CNE.
Three groups of representatives of organizations went simultaneously to the seats of Vooruit, CD&V and committed on Friday at 12:30 p.m. to give their text and request clear answers. The action follows a call signed by around fifty organizations and hundreds of personalities from civil society. The signatories denounce the Belgian inaction in the face of what they describe as a genocide in progress in Gaza and claim immediate measures.
“We are now waiting for the words to be followed by concrete effects,” said Thierry Bodson, president of the FGTB. “Recognition of the Palestine State and the end of the transfer of weapons are minimum measures in the face of the current horror. »»
For Yves Hellendorff, CSC-ACV coordinator Palestine, “the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza deserves to be considered a government crisis. If some parties like the MR threaten to bring down the government to prevent anti-genocidal measures, then it is to them that it will be necessary to impute their responsibility. ”
The delegations were welcomed in a very contrasting manner. The meeting at Vooruit was considered very positive. Among the commitments, the activists were received by the secretary general Gauthier of Sauvage. If the exchange was deemed cordial, no clear answer was given to the two questions. A text was proposed at the end of the day, but deemed insufficient by the demonstrators.
At the CD&V, the delegation was not received. President Sammy Mahdi refused any contact and called the police to evacuate the premises. “We came peacefully. He refused to answer, ”said Felipe Van Keirsbilck. “He did not get his phone, did not answer our messages, but preferred to call the police. We came to tell him that, if a genocide is not enough to make a government react, then what does it take? This attitude is incomprehensible, “he added.
The organizers now announce their intention to request formal meetings with the presidents of the committed and the CD&V, believing that this Friday’s exchanges and unchanges have not made it possible to obtain clear answers. They claim that they will continue their mobilization and that they will return if necessary to obtain concrete commitments.
