© AFP
As pressure mounts from opposition parties and public figures, Prime Minister Luc Frieden told parliament Tuesday that Luxembourg will wait for an international conference before deciding whether to recognise Palestine.
The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday debated the formal recognition of Palestine as a state, a demand that has gained traction in Luxembourg after more than 100 prominent Luxembourgish figures – including actors, musicians, authors, and former Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn – joined the international initiative Jewish Call for Peace to urge the government to take a firmer stance on the war in Gaza.
Their statement condemns the ongoing Israeli military campaign and calls for stronger diplomatic measures. The government, however, is holding back from an immediate decision. Recognition of Palestine, it says, depends on the outcome of an international conference taking place in New York next week.
While the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), The Greens (Déi Gréng), and The Left (Déi Lénk) have jointly called for Luxembourg to recognise Palestine without delay, other parties, such as the Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the Democratic Party (DP), the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR), and the Pirate Party (Piratepartei), rejected this approach.
Although all parties agreed that the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 were unacceptable, many also criticised the scale and severity of Israel's military response.
PM Luc Frieden argued that recognition of Palestine must be tied to a broader two-state solution and said next week's conference would be key to assessing a coordinated international approach. He added that Luxembourg would fulfil its responsibility if no consensus emerged, emphasising humanitarian concerns, calling for all hostages to be released and for urgent effective aid to be provided to the population in Gaza.
Frieden also stressed the need for a long-term reconstruction plan and a viable future for Gaza's civilians, one in which Luxembourg is ready to play a financial and political role.
Left-wing opposition parties argued that the government's conditions for recognising Palestine rely too heavily on factors controlled by Israel, such as the holding of elections or the dismantling of Hamas.
LSAP MP Yves Cruchten expressed disappointment that the PM had not responded to all of the opposition's demands, which included officially condemning illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and ensuring no Luxembourg companies are involved in arms sales to Israel.
Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel was absent from the debate due to an official visit to Canada. DP MP Gusty Graas, speaking in his place, noted that during the LSAP's 19-year control of the Foreign Ministry – including under Asselborn – Palestine was never recognised either.
