Bernard Quintin, our new Minister of Foreign Affairs, was the guest of Martin Buxant this Tuesday morning. In particular, his position regarding the crisis in the Middle East was discussed.
Invited this morning on bel RTL, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke about a potential visit by Benyamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, to Belgium. Will he be arrested if he sets foot on Belgian soil, Martin Buxant asked him.
“We are founding members of the ICC (International Criminal Court, Editor’s note). We think in Belgium, and we campaign through all possible, imaginable bodies, for a stable world order, in which the rule of law is respected. We will take our responsibilities.”he said.
Still on the subject of the conflict in the Middle East, Bernard Quintin believes that we must put Palestinians and Israelis face to face, and not back to back.
“The first thing, and this is what we do every day, is to campaign, to push, to call for a cessation of hostilities. In a war, the first thing that must be done is to stop the fighting and stop the deaths. And there have already been many, many too many. When I say face to face, that is to say that at some point, we have to meet around the table and we have to negotiate. We support negotiations always on the basis of two-state solution It is they, the Israelis and the Palestinians, who must tell us the solution they want.he insisted.
Until now, Palestine has not been recognized as a state by Belgium, but under this new government, this could happen, explained Bernard Quintin.
“The government declaration is quite clear on the subject. The recognition of a Palestinian state is in the future. Is it a near future? Is it a more distant future ?There are a certain number of conditions that must be met at the level of the Belgian government that these conditions are not yet met to do so.finally declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Bernard Quintin Minister of Foreign Affairs Conflict in the Middle East Israel Palestine
