Former Belgian diplomats call on government to take action against Israel
More than twenty former Belgian diplomats and ambassadors have urged the federal government to take action against Israel in an open letter. The letter is a "unique signal", according to political experts.
For decades, diplomats have taken "countless steps" to profile Belgium as a defender of a fairer international legal order and of human rights, reads the letter published in De Standaard. When it comes to Gaza and Israel, Belgium "seems to have lost this moral compass", according to the 21 signatories.
"The dramatic situation in which the Palestinian people find themselves has very real political causes," write the former diplomats. "This is a people who have been humiliated and persecuted in terrible ways for decades, driven from their villages and towns and forced into ever-narrower spaces.”
Remarkable signal
In the letter, they call on the government to express its dissatisfaction using the instruments at its disposal, ranging from "regularly summoning the Israeli ambassador" to "imposing sanctions on settlers, and guaranteeing the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, including recognition of the Palestinian state".
"An open letter is not part of the standard toolkit of diplomats"
Political experts say the appeal is highly unusual. "Diplomats are expected to implement the government's foreign policy. Former diplomats therefore usually remain reserved as well," said Dave Sinardet, a professor of political science at the VUB.
"The fact that they are now getting involved in the public debate to criticise the government in this way is a remarkable signal, " he added. "An open letter is not part of the standard toolkit of diplomats."
King's speech
Former diplomats have more freedom to speak out than those in office. Nevertheless, the initiative carries a lot of weight, according to Sven Biscop, a political scientist at the Egmont Institute. "I have rarely seen such a large number of senior former diplomats speak out. This is remarkably significant," he said.
"I have rarely seen such a large number of senior former diplomats speak out"
According to Sinardet, the letter is yet another element that increases the pressure on the government to take a clearer position, albeit a more unexpected one. He compared the initiative to King Philippe's recent speech, in which he described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a “disgrace to humanity”.
“The king does not normally make political statements, especially when the government is divided. The fact that he did so now is exceptional, just like the letter from the diplomats,” he said.
A Palestinian boy receives the last drops of lentil soup at a food distribution point in Gaza City on 1 August 2025 © PHOTO OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP
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