• Ben Achour launches initiative to unite European lawmakers in challenging pro-Israel narratives, coordinating actions

BRUSSELS

Malik Ben Achour, a Belgian politician active at both federal and local levels, is bringing together European lawmakers to strengthen coordinated efforts for justice for Palestine.

Ben Achour, who previously served as a member of the Belgian Federal Parliament and Senate and currently holds responsibilities in the local administration of Verviers, spoke to Anadolu about his new initiative on Palestine.

Proudly describing himself as "the son of a Tunisian immigrant father, born and raised in the heart of Europe," Ben Achour said the Palestinian cause has shaped his political awareness since childhood.

"I think I've been confronted with the question of injustice. It was during the First Intifada, when I was a young kid, that I faced disturbing images of young kids massacred by Israeli soldiers. That was the very moment I discovered, like, I live in a world of injustice, and I want to fix it at my own level. My political conscience awareness was born with the images of the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people," he said.

Palestine: A mirror for all democracies

Ben Achour, who also served on the Foreign Affairs Committee during his time in parliament, said he focused extensively on the Palestinian question.

"I think that the question of Palestine is still central for all of us. This question acts like a mirror for all of us. A mirror for all democracies. A mirror for all our humanity. The question of double standards—the way we act in a different way about the Russia-Ukraine issue but in another way about Palestine—is just unacceptable. We have to defend human rights and international law no matter the color of the skin, the religion, or the origin of the people," he said.

Describing his new initiative, Ben Achour said the network brings together MPs from several European states to coordinate actions, and challenge the dominant narratives directly fueled by the Israeli government.

"The biggest demonstrations organized in the streets of Brussels were in support of Palestine... No other cause can bring more people to the streets," he noted.

Ben Achour said politicians must reflect this public support and defend the Palestinian people more loudly and concretely.

'Europe is inefficient'

Evaluating Europe's political stance, Ben Achour expressed frustration, saying: "Europe is inefficient. I regret that it is almost voiceless, useless, absent. It's never enough."

Despite the broad public support, he criticized European political leadership for failing to translate sentiment into policy.

"You have those statements sometimes, but I regret this impossibility to take concrete actions, to impose sanctions on Israel. Any other country in the world that would have done what Israel has done would have been banned, would have been sanctioned," he added.

Ben Achour said he believes progress must begin with elected representatives, emphasizing the fact that they are directly accountable to the public and can introduce a new political discourse grounded in international law.

"Israel is violating international law in hundreds of ways. They cannot have such impunity," he said, stressing that accountability is crucial for credibility in defending international law and human rights.