Relationship dossier
Belgium
Israel
Relationship assessment
Belgium–Israel ties combine diplomatic and economic engagement with recurring disputes over Israeli policy toward Palestinians.
Belgium toward Israel
-10Belgian governments have maintained diplomatic and economic ties with Israel while criticizing Israeli policies concerning Palestinians and the occupied territories. This engagement alongside persistent policy criticism makes the relationship mixed.
Israel toward Belgium
-5Israel has maintained diplomatic relations with Belgium. In 2003, Israeli pressure was among the factors surrounding Belgium’s amendment of its universal-jurisdiction law, which had enabled cases involving Israeli officials. The relationship has also faced friction over Belgian criticism of Israeli policy.
Overall relationship
-5The bilateral relationship has a durable diplomatic and economic basis, but it has not prevented recurring political disputes. Belgian criticism of Israeli policy toward Palestinians and the 2003 dispute over universal jurisdiction are significant sources of friction; continued engagement keeps the relationship from being defined solely by confrontation.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Belgium and Israel maintain diplomatic and economic relations, but Belgian criticism of Israeli policy, especially regarding the Palestinian territories, has been a recurring source of friction. A notable earlier dispute concerned Belgium’s universal-jurisdiction law and cases involving Israeli officials. The relationship combines ongoing engagement with significant political disagreements.
Areas of tension
- Belgian criticism of Israeli policy toward Palestinians and the occupied territories.
- The 2003 dispute over Belgium’s universal-jurisdiction law and cases involving Israeli officials.
Key developments
Belgium amended its universal-jurisdiction law after controversy over cases involving foreign officials, including Israeli officials; Israel had objected to the law.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and current implementation of bilateral economic and other agreements are unclear.
- The extent of recent direct government cooperation beyond diplomatic and trade ties is uncertain.