Press Release – Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID)

JID: Belgium unlawfully discriminates against its own citizens through consular policy

Brussels, January 9, 2026

The Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID) strongly condemns the decision by the Belgian consulate to refuse consular assistance to a Belgian citizen residing in Israel, solely on the basis of her place of residence.

According to the official notification, the Belgian authorities have not only removed the individual concerned from the consular population register, but have automatically extended this exclusion to all members of her family residing at the same address, without any individual assessment. This amounts to a collective and indiscriminate measure against Belgian citizens.

This decision constitutes a de facto sanction against Belgian nationals, derived from Belgium’s political position toward Israel. The JID notes with grave concern that measures directed at Israel — whose legal basis is in itself highly questionable — are now being directly applied to Belgian citizens, which is legally indefensible.

“Once a state provides consular assistance, it must do so equally and without discrimination, regardless of origin, religion, or place of residence,” states Ralph Pais, Vice-President of the Jewish Information and Documentation Center.

“Belgium is not sanctioning Israel here, but its own citizens. That this policy disproportionately affects Belgian Jews living in Israel makes this discrimination unacceptable.”

The exclusion of Belgian citizens from consular registers based solely on residence violates the principle of equality, constitutes indirect discrimination, and results in an unlawful politicization of consular assistance. While a state may determine the scope of its consular services, international law does not authorize a state to deny consular assistance to its own citizens based on political interpretations of territory.

By conditioning access to consular assistance on relocation from certain areas, the Belgian authorities effectively impose a conditional citizenship regime, incompatible with fundamental principles of equality, non-discrimination, and legal certainty, and causing a serious breach of trust between the state and its citizens.

The Jewish Information and Documentation Center therefore calls for the immediate reversal of this decision and urges the Belgian authorities to unequivocally reaffirm that all Belgian citizens are entitled to equal protection and equal access to consular assistance, regardless of religion, origin, or place of residence.

End of press release

For press contact:

Jewish Information and Documentation Center (JID)

www.stopantisemitisme.be

[email protected]

Ralph Pais