On October 7, The Arena will once again focus on the situation in Gaza. Because we cannot talk about it enough with each other. We will engage in debate about the principle from the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: Since 1948, all countries are obligated under international law to prevent or stop a suspected genocide. This includes Belgium.
On September 2, our Belgian government finally took a stance. After a looming government crisis, it decided to allocate additional resources for humanitarian aid to Gaza, advocate for a UN intervention force, and support the evacuation of sick children from the region. At the same time, sanctions are being prepared against violent Israeli settlers and Hamas officials, while extremist figures from both camps are declared persona non grata and Belgian cooperation with Israel is being restricted in various areas. The recognition of a Palestinian state remains a goal but is linked to strict conditions such as the release of hostages and the exclusion of terrorist groups from governance.
During The Arena, we will delve deeper into the principle and the current policy. We will do this with, among others, professor of international and humanitarian law Chris De Cock and politicians such as Kathleen De Poorter from the ruling party N-VA. Fien Sabbe will moderate.
