Belgium regrets tension with Israel, but stands firm

Agence France Presse - 26 February 2003

BRUSSELS, Feb 26-- Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel said Wednesday he "deeply regrets" tension with Israel sparked by a recent legal ruling which threatens Ariel Sharon with prosecution.

But in an open letter published in the daily Le Soir, Michel insisted that the far-reaching "universal competence" law was not directed specifically at Israel.

"Relations between Belgium and Israel are very tense today and I regret that deeply," he said. Israel lashed out after Belgian judges this month upheld the law allowing for officials such as the Israeli
leader to be prosecuted for the world's worst crimes -- albeit only after they leave office.

The ruling by Belgium's top appeals court on February 12 paved the way for about 30 serving or former leaders to be tried under the 1993 "universal competence" law.

"I regret that my Israeli friends cannot accept the philosophy on which the 1993 law is based, but persist on the contrary in repeating that this law targets Israel specifically.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," wrote Michel.

The Belgian law, revised in 1999, allows trials for war crimes, genocide or crimes against humanity no matter where the offences happened.

Sharon could face legal action in Belgium for war crimes by 23 Palestinians who survived a massacre by an Israeli-allied Christian militia at two refugee camps in Beirut in 1982.

In response to this month's ruling Israeli Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled Israel's ambassador to Brussels for consultations and summoned the Belgian envoy for a dressing-down.

The ruling by the Cour de Cassation also cleared the way for a war crimes trial of three Israeli military officials, including General Amos Yaron, who oversaw the Beirut sector in 1982.

An Israeli tribunal later found Sharon, who was defence minister at the time, to be indirectly responsible for the carnage. He was forced to resign but never prosecuted.

Power Search