A Belgian politician has announced the formation of a new European parliamentary network dedicated to advocating for Palestinian rights and holding Israel accountable for violations of international law.
Malik Ben Achour, a former member of the Belgian Senate, stated that the network will focus on coordinating actions among European parliamentarians sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. The initiative aims to counter what Ben Achour described as dominant narratives fueled directly by the Israeli government.
“There is a civil society in Europe that wants its representatives to be more active on this issue,” Ben Achour explained. He emphasized that a majority of Europeans support the rights of Palestinians and desire justice and peace in the Middle East, pointing to large-scale demonstrations in Brussels as evidence of this support.
Ben Achour expressed disappointment with Europe’s perceived inaction and silence regarding the violation of Palestinian rights. “If any other country in the world did what Israel has done, it would be confronted and sanctioned, but Europe has shown that it cannot do anything,” he stated.
The politician called for a renewed discourse in Europe, originating with lawmakers, to guide European policy towards a more effective, consistent, and steadfast defense of international law and human rights.
Ben Achour, who currently holds responsibilities in local administration in the city of Verviers, proudly identified himself as the son of a Tunisian immigrant, born and raised in Europe. He noted that his understanding of injustice was shaped by the Palestinian cause. “When I was a young child, I encountered images of young children killed by Israeli soldiers during the First Intifada. At that moment, I discovered that I live in a world full of injustice and I wanted to correct that as much as I could.”
