The new Palestinian delegate to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, Amal Jadou Chakaa, will present her mission letters to the King of Belgium on Tuesday.
This is the first time King Philippe of Belgium will meet with a Palestinian diplomatic representative in Brussels.
Jadou Chakaa has represented Palestine in Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU since October. It is typically an ambassador who presents mission letters to the king, but because Palestine does not have an embassy in Belgium, no Palestinian has ever performed this formality before.
The act does not equate to Belgium recognising a Palestinian State. It follows a 2012 agreement with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which was revised in 2018. This agreement recognises the Palestinian Authority (PA) as an international organisation based in Belgium, granting it related privileges and immunities.
In 2018, the King hosted the PA's President Mahmoud Abbas. It was agreed that new delegates would follow the ambassadorial procedure, with "mission letters" replacing "letters of credence".
No recognition of Palestine
The recognition of Palestine was a dormant question in Belgian politics but has been reignited since Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In 2015, under "Swedish" legislature, the Parliament adopted a resolution outlining conditions for recognition, effectively delaying this step. Under the Vivaldi coalition, a potential timely recognition was mentioned.
After 7 October, some parties urged Belgium to follow Spain and Ireland in recognising Palestine, but no consensus was reached, with the liberal party Mouvement Réformateur (MR) strongly opposing the motion. Nevertheless, Belgium recognises "the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination."
Despite not recognising Palestine as a state, Belgium and the EU support a "two-state solution" to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Belgium is a member of the "Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution." Brussels will host the alliance’s second meeting on 28 November, co-organised by the EU’s External Action Service.
