Luxembourg's left-wing opposition parties are ramping up pressure on the government to take stronger action on Gaza, demanding immediate sanctions against Israel and Palestinian state recognition ahead of Tuesday's parliamentary debate.
Ahead of Tuesday afternoon's parliamentary debate on potential recognition of Palestine, three opposition parties - the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Green Party (déi Gréng), and the Left Party (déi Lénk) - have called for more decisive action from the government regarding the Gaza conflict.
During a press conference, the parties demanded that Luxembourg clearly condemn ongoing attacks in Gaza, consider suspending economic relations with Israel, and move forward with recognising Palestinian statehood.
The opposition framed the recognition issue as both a strategic necessity for a two-state solution and a moral imperative. LSAP MP Yves Cruchten warned that inaction could damage Luxembourg's reputation as a human rights defender and further erode international institutions' credibility.
Left Party MP Marc Baum stressed that not a day goes by without the Israeli army killing people in Gaza and described Gaza's humanitarian situation as "unbearable", criticising what he called Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel's "clever excuses" for delaying recognition.
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The parties collectively expressed frustration with Luxembourg's strict alignment with US and French positions, dismissing expectations for next week's France-Saudi Arabia organised conference in New York as setting unrealistic conditions for recognition.
Addressing concerns about Hamas' influence, Green Party MP Sam Tanson acknowledged that democratic elections in Palestine remain "obviously" desirable, but emphasised that state recognition should be based on population rights rather than current leadership.
Tanson criticised Israel's military response to the October 2023 attacks as disproportionate, citing both the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the International Court of Justice's finding of potential genocide risks in Gaza.
The parliamentary debate will proceed without Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, who is currently on an official visit to Canada (10-12 June). Prime Minister Luc Frieden will instead present the government's position.
