Netanyahu slams Belgium PM as 'weak leader' after move to recognise Palestinian state
'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly attacked his Belgian counterpart, Bart De Wever, calling him "a weak leader who seeks to appease Islamic terrorism by sacrificing Israel."
The comments were made in a post from the 'Israeli' prime minister's official X account on Wednesday, a day after Brussels announced it would formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister's Office:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 3, 2025
Belgian Prime Minister de Wever is a weak leader who seeks to appease Islamic terrorism by sacrificing Israel. He wants to feed the terrorist crocodile before it devours Belgium. Israel will won’t go along and will continue to defend itself.
"He wants to feed the terrorist crocodile before it devours Belgium," the post continued, adding that 'Israel' "will not go along and will continue to defend itself."
The criticism comes as a growing number of European and Western countries, including France, Britain, Canada, and now Belgium, have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly.
'Israel' has strongly opposed these moves, with Netanyahu stating that recognizing a Palestinian state would serve as a reward for Hamas.
Precedent Set in Diplomatic Feud with Australia
The verbal attack on the Belgian Prime Minister mirrors a similar diplomatic feud that erupted between 'Israel' and Australia last month.
In August, Netanyahu similarly lashed out at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews."
The conflict with Australia was sparked by two events:
- Recognition of Palestine: Canberra's announcement that it would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly.
- Barring of an 'Israeli' Lawmaker: The Australian government canceled the visa of far-right 'Israeli' lawmaker Simcha Rothman, who planned a speaking tour in the country. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that Rothman was barred for attempting to "spread a message of hate and division."
In response to the visa cancellation, 'Israeli' Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar retaliated by revoking the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded by accusing Netanyahu's government of isolating 'Israel' on the international stage.
