Belgian citizen denied passport for living beyond Israel’s ‘Green Line’

Ralph Pais, deputy president of the Jewish Center for Information and Documentation (JID), said the decision amounted to political punishment of a Belgian national.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A Belgian citizen living over the “Green Line” close to Jerusalem was refused a passport renewal by Belgium’s consulate, Israj reported Thursday.

Jewish community leaders condemned the move.

Ralph Pais, deputy president of the Jewish Center for Information and Documentation (JID), said the decision amounted to political punishment of a Belgian national.

He stated that the “Jewish Center for Information and Documentation (JID) vehemently condemns the Belgian consulate’s passport renewal refusal targeting a Belgian citizen domiciled in Israel, predicated exclusively upon residential location.” Pais added that “passport access represents fundamental entitlement, not foreign policy instrumentation,” arguing that the move “constitutes de facto sanctioning of a Belgian citizen.”

The incident comes as Belgium begins operationalizing parts of a sanctions framework drafted last September by Prime Minister Bart De Wever during a period of internal coalition turmoil.

At the time, De Wever faced threats of government collapse and rising pressure within his own party, prompting him to advance a 12-point sanctions package heavily focused on limiting ties with Israel.

That plan included prohibitions on goods produced in Judea and Samaria as well as east Jerusalem, embargoes on weapons and dual-use materials, visa bans for Israelis residing in Judea and Samaria, and restrictions on Belgian airspace for military aircraft.

It also called for targeted penalties on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Additional clauses urged the European Union to take parallel action, endorsed conditional recognition of Palestinian statehood tied to Hamas disarmament and the release of hostages, and demanded explicit condemnation of Hamas as a terror organization.

Israeli officials expressed disappointment about the provisions, but believed implementation had stalled.

The emerging enforcement measures have shifted that view, with Jerusalem now concluding that Belgium intends to activate substantial portions of the policy.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused De Wever of capitulating to domestic political forces, calling him “a feeble leader pursuing Islamic terror appeasement through Israeli sacrifice.”