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Last update - 15:17 01/02/2009
Belgium to stop exporting 'arms that bolster the IDF' to Israel
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Tags: Belgium, Gaza, IDF 

Belgium's government has agreed to ban the export to Israel of weapons that "strengthen it militarily," a Belgian minister said on Thursday. A Brussels-based research group accused Israel of enlisting child soldiers.

The Belgian daily De Morgen quotes Minister Patricia Ceysens from the Flemish regional government as saying: "There's a consensus [among ministers] not to approve exports that would strengthen Israel's military capacity."

Ceysens said this after a discussion on policy regarding weapons exports to Israel following the operation in Gaza. A final resolution has not been passed yet, but Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht already said recently that "given the current circumstances, weapons cannot be shipped from Belgium to Israel."
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According to a recently-released report by the European Institute for Research and Information on Peace and Security on Belgian arms exports to the Jewish state, Israel is the fourth largest importer of Belgian arms in the Middle East. In 2007, Belgium sold Israel weapons (mostly light firearms) to the tune of $5,409,223, according to the report.

The report, which accuses Israel of human rights violations, also says that Belgium's major weapons clients in the Middle East are Saudi Arabia (69 percent), Jordan (17 percent) and the United Arab Emirates (4.2 percent). The 15-page report does not deal with human rights violation in those countries.

Quoting a 2003 amendment to Belgian law which forbids the sale of weapons to armies with child soldiers, the report says that Israel "accepts and arms underage volunteers." Further on, the report mentions "use of underage Palestinians as informants and sometimes human shields."

The Israeli Defense Forces' Gadna program runs a one-week military training session on a base as part of the curriculum at most Israeli high schools. The army accepts volunteers from the age of 17 into non-combat posts.

Meanwhile, 13 Belgian politicians, authors and scholars released a statement that calls for a more evenhanded approach to Israel.

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      1.   Do not bolster Hamas as well ! 06:49  |  Johann 01/02/09
      2.   A Joke 06:49  |  Ron 01/02/09
      3.   Suprise Suprise 06:50  |  Stanley 01/02/09
      4.   Belgian hypocrits! 06:56  |  US CITIZEN 01/02/09
      5.   Belgium to stop exporting `arms that bolster the IDF` to Israel 07:17  |  can citizen 01/02/09
      6.   Belgium Backwords Behavior 07:24  |  Ori 01/02/09
      7.   Antisemitism by US State Department definition (2008): 07:24  |  Rob AA 01/02/09
      8.   Even-handed? Sounds like they are 100% anti-Israel 07:39  |  McQueen 01/02/09
      9.   I am relieved they are ok with countries that behead children 07:51  |  Dan 01/02/09
      10.   But who really cares? They are falling apart anyway 07:52  |  Dan 01/02/09
      11.   Coming from a country that wiped out 6 millions Congolese 07:54  |  What a joke 01/02/09
      12.   Demonizing and delegitimizing Israel. 07:55  |  Jean Van Daem 01/02/09
      13.   Belgian War Crimes in The Congo 08:18  |  Michael 01/02/09
      14.   no surprise 09:23  |  Ben 01/02/09
      15.   Blackmailing 09:54  |  jamila to #13 01/02/09
      16.   Congratulations, Belgium, very well done, BUT..... 10:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/02/09
      17.   IT`S OK, AS LONG AS THEY 10:05  |  Robert 01/02/09
      18.   Will Belgium also ban its export of Child Porn..? 10:15  |  Stephen. 01/02/09
      19.   #.16. DINO. ...! 10:24  |  Stephen. 01/02/09
      20.   Belgium anti semites. Jews start fighting back!!! 10:37  |  arthur 01/02/09
      21.   The 15-page report does not even deal with... 10:39  |  Yair 01/02/09
      22.   to 18 : bla bla bla ... not relevant 10:45  |  facts 01/02/09
      23.   As could be expected ... 10:46  |  Axel 01/02/09
      24.   # 18 stephen 10:49  |  Axel 01/02/09
      25.   Belgiun hypocrites 10:53  |  gary 01/02/09
      26.   Cheap posturing 10:56  |  CM 01/02/09
      27.   Belgium 11:06  |  barry martin 01/02/09
      28.   # 18 stephen 11:10  |  Axel 01/02/09
      29.   Machine gun instead of a pistol 11:13  |  Gilad 01/02/09
      30.   Belgium lost another $5,409,223 during the crisis 11:52  |  Vitaly 01/02/09
      31.   Boycott Belgian Chocolate 11:58  |  D 01/02/09
      32.   Buy Blue and White 12:14  |  Allan 01/02/09
      33.   #16 &19- Swiss men... 12:29  |  shtarka 01/02/09
      34.   Arms ban 12:40  |  Mike 01/02/09
      35.   Don`t mix all 13:04  |  Nico 01/02/09
      36.   Belgian politicians walked with Hamas `s supporters 13:16  |  Michèle brussels 01/02/09
      37.   # 35 michele 13:41  |  Axel 01/02/09
      38.   Bravo Belgium! Setting an example for the US and the world! 13:42  |  Ivar 01/02/09
      39.   # 31 d 13:43  |  Axel 01/02/09
      40.   The country has two languages so they can lie with one and tell 14:08  |  r 01/02/09
      41.   Belgian products are Treyf 16:20  |  Jehiel Chaleff 01/02/09
      42.   #28 Axel2 17:44  |  Axel 01/02/09
      43.   BOYCOTT BELGUIM!!! 17:45  |  Petra 01/02/09
      44.   #31 D 17:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/02/09
      45.   Hurray! 19:40  |  Linda Wenrick 01/02/09
      46.   Belgium andGaza 19:57  |  FrankRoels MD 01/02/09
      47.   Who needs Belgium ? 20:00  |  Robert W. Orians 01/02/09
      48.   All to hinder IL`s defense...starting to look like a pattern? 20:32  |  Leon 01/02/09
      49.   Dan #9 20:50  |  Westwell 01/02/09
      50.   everybody is jealous of our military. 22:56  |  mira 01/02/09
      51.   #49 Frank Roels 23:03  |  Benjamin 01/02/09
      52.   # 42 another Axel 23:31  |  Axel (original one) 01/02/09
      53.   # 50 mira 23:54  |  Axel 01/02/09
      54.   #16 Swiss D 00:16  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 02/02/09
      55.   # 4 to us citizen re: "hypocrits"[sic] 02:17  |  eric 02/02/09
      56.   Belgium, turkey, England,your list is growing 02:23  |  zagot 02/02/09
      57.   plenty of use of use of child soilders in the ME but not Israel 02:24  |  zionist forever 02/02/09
      58.   belguim to stop exporting arms to saudis a must as well 02:42  |  georg halmes 02/02/09
      59.   Belgium Destroys Congo, Fails to Condemn Hamas - No Surprise 03:00  |  StopTerrorInCongoToo 02/02/09
      60.   Bel. should focus on stopping anti-female terrorism in Congo, 03:09  |  RightYourOwnWrongs 02/02/09
      61.   A little bit of Belgium history....Congo massacres. 03:36  |  A I G 02/02/09
      62.   your all crazy 07:37  |  was 02/02/09
      63.   Even handed definition 08:05  |  lefty 02/02/09
      64.   It`s a Joke, right? 13:55  |  David 02/02/09
      65.   Bravo Belgium! 01:36  |  yitzhak 25/02/09
      66.   Good job Belgium 16:16  |  Non-Arab Saudi 25/04/09
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