After Belgian Elections, a Move Rightward Promises to be Less anti-Israel

Belgium now has a new government, one that has replaced the previous left-wing coalition of the anti-Israel Socialist Party and Ecolo (the environmental party of the “Greens”) with a center-right coalition consisting of the N-VA Party (the New Flemish Alliance) and the French-speaking “Reform Movement.” The Belgian electorate has tired of the leftists who, when in power, instead of addressing the country’s domestic problems, including economic distress and the many problems caused by Muslim economic migrants who have cost Belgian taxpayers billions of dollars, have focused on foreign policy, and specifically, on the war in Gaza, where the government has displayed an extreme anti-Israel animus. More on the significance of the new government’s move from left to center-right for Belgian Jews, and for increased support for Israel, can be found here: “Belgium has a new government. What does it mean for the Jewish community and Israel? – opinion,” by Henri Benkoski, Jerusalem Post, February 14, 2025:

After long months of discussions, Belgium has finally formed a new federal government. For the first time in a long time, the Socialist Party and Ecolo, the ‘Greens,’ are no longer in power. This represents a significant shift in Belgian politics.

A right-wing/center-right majority has now been established in the federal government and across other regional governments. The N-VA party (‘New Flemish Alliance’), led by Antwerp’s conservative and officially nationalist mayor, Bart De Wever, along with the liberal, French-speaking ‘Reform Movement’ under its young and effective president, Georges-Louis Bouchez, are now in power throughout the country….

The new federal government has moved away from the tendencies that willingly brought the Middle East conflict into Belgian politics, funding pro-Palestinian NGOs (and particularly the highly biased educational materials introduced into our schools, and advocating for the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state with little to no criticism of Hamas or Hezbollah….

It appears the new federal government is adopting a more balanced stance, which comes as a relief. Bart De Wever and Georges-Louis Bouchez, from the Flemish N-VA and the French-speaking MR, respectively, are finally offering reassurances that their policies will be more impartial and honest, even leaning more towards being pro-Israel….

Bart De Wever and Georges-Louis Bouchez have assured Belgian Jews and other supporters of Israel that they are not going to continue the anti-Israel policies of the previous government, and suggest that they will be pro-Israel. No longer will the Middle East, and the Palestinians, be the center of the government’s attention, but instead the new government will focus, as it should, on ameliorating the economic conditions of ordinary Belgians.

The coming months will reveal the true political landscape of Belgium. The Belgian Jewish community eagerly awaits the change as it is united in its concern for Israel’s security and the fate of the hostages. We are tired of so much hatred and fear and look forward to a Belgium that is a haven for people of all faiths and cultures. The journey ahead will require continuous effort and vigilance to ensure that Belgium remains a beacon of hope and inclusivity in an increasingly polarized world.

That’s the hopeful view of Henri Benkoski, a leader of the Belgian Jewish community, and the founder of Radio Judaica. One thing is clear: Belgium is turning rightward, as is so much of Europe. Italy is now governed by the openly right-wing Giorgia Meloni; in France, Marine Le Pen has a real chance to come in first in the French presidential elections to be held in 2027; in Germany, the right-wing Alternativ für Deutschland party, under the leadership of the formidable Alice Weidel, is widely predicted to have its best showing yet in the elections to be held on February 23. The AfD is the party whose main issue is Muslim immigration. The party calls for a halt to that immigration, though it does not object to non-Muslim immigrants, and for deporting Muslims already in Germany back to their countries of origin.

Like Marine Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, and Alice Weidel, the government of Bart De Wever and Georges-Louis Bouchez offers the promise of three things: first, more attention to domestic matters, especially the growing threat to the economy and physical security posed by Muslim immigration; second, an end to the previous fixation on Gaza and Israel’s putative misdeeds; third, a distinctly pro-Israel policy. A roar of approval, please, from Leo Belgicus, for the new government in Brussels.