A prominent Belgium-based Jewish group on Wednesday criticized that country’s foreign minister for evoking “genocide” when speaking about Israel, calling it inappropriate, incompatible with official policy and possibly a sign of inexperience.
European Jewish Association director Rabbi Menachem Margolin’s scathing criticism of Maxime Prévot was in connection to the minister’s unusual remarks on Tuesday, which his party said represented its official position.
Asked by Humo magazine whether Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip amounted to genocide, Prévot used the term without stating outright that Israel was engaged in it, and attempted to distinguish between his personal convictions and his official capacity.
“As foreign minister, it is not up to me to make statements about that, but my personal opinion is that this is very much leaning toward genocide. I do not know what atrocities have to happen before that word can be used,” he said. It was the first time he had used the term publicly concerning Gaza.
Prévot’s centrist Les Engages Party is a junior coalition partner of the right-wing New Flemish Alliance of Prime Minister Bart De Wever. De Wever recently rejected the term’s application to Israel, and ordered all official statements about the Jewish state be cleared with him and coalition leaders.
The Le Soir daily characterized Prévot’s remarks as a “solo departure” from the cabinet’s policy. However, his party reiterated his message when asked about it by the media.
“Formally, it is up to the judiciary to declare [genocide] but as far as the Les Engages party is concerned, we are indeed witnessing a genocide,” Yvan Verougstraete, the centrist movement’s president, told Le Soir.
Contacted by the RTBF broadcaster, Prévot again tried to separate what he said was his personal opinion from his function.
“Formally, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, I’m not able to deliver a specific message on this question of genocide on behalf of the government, you know, there are multiple sensitivities on this issue,” he said.
But in his “personal capacity,” he added, Israel’s alleged policies made him ask: “What more would it take for us to reach the stage of genocide?”
In his statement, Rabbi Margolin recalled that “the official position of the Belgian government is unequivocal: There is no genocide occurring in Gaza.” Margolin cited De Wever’s comments on this during a televised interview two weeks ago. In it, De Wever disputed a journalist’s claim that Israel was perpetrating a genocide, calling it “extremely dubious,” saying that it’s “something for the International Court of Justice to determine.”
As for Prévot’s remarks, “We find it concerning that a sitting foreign minister would make such sensitive and consequential remarks under the guise of personal opinion,” said Margolin.
“Holding a senior government position, particularly in foreign affairs, necessitates a consistent and unified voice. One cannot alternate between speaking for the country and expressing personal views. We hope this inconsistency is due to inexperience,” he added.
The European Jewish Association, which is based in Brussels, will be sending an official letter to De Wever requesting that he address this matter directly with Prévot, Margolin told JNS.
“Precision and responsibility in public statements—especially regarding such grave accusations—are essential expectations from those in high office,” he added.
Earlier this month, Prévot condemned what he called the “horrors” that Israel was committing in Gaza, and added that he would promote advancing sanctions against the Jewish state and “violent settlers,” as he termed them.
Belgium’s previous government, in which the Socialist Party was the largest partner, was among the most anti-Israel in the European Union. Under it, Belgium announced that it would intervene in favor of the genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The New Flemish Alliance won the highest number of votes in the 2024 election and assembled a center-right coalition. The coalition partners agreed to put aside their differences regarding Israel, a source with knowledge of internal coalition talks told JNS in March.
Tensions over Israel are also visible in the Dutch government, where the staunchly pro-Israel Party for Freedom of Geert Wilders is the largest coalition partner. Whereas Wilders has consistently spoken out in favor of Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and dismantle it in Gaza, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp of the centrist New Social Contract party earlier this month said that he would block the renewal of a cooperation program between the E.U. and Israel.