The Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hadja Lahbib, have voiced their discontent over remarks made by Development Minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) about Germany and its role in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The Flemish socialist expressed her disappointment in an interview with Knack earlier in the week, criticising Germany’s perceived compliance with the Israeli government. She directly addressed Germany, questioning if it wished to be seen as on the "wrong side of history."
During a mission in Beijing, De Croo (Open VLD) emphasised the need for EU solidarity. "Let’s use our role as president of the Council to build consensus at a European level. This can’t be achieved by pointing fingers at individual countries," he mentioned.
Accompanying the Prime Minister, Lahbib (MR) expressed similar disapproval. She suggested such criticisms were unproductive, especially as they had just taken up the Presidency of the Council of the EU. She praised Belgium’s exemplary record so far.
"If we want to play a role, it should be as a mediator, not an accuser. It’s unfortunate as it disrupts the gains we’ve made through our constructive attitude," Lahbib stated.
Update: The German government rejected on Friday South Africa’s genocide allegations against Israel in the International Criminal Court in The Hague and warned against “political instrumentalization” of the charge. A government spokesperson said that Germany would intervene as a third party before the court.
