Solidarity – Orient Foundation organized an event on October 12, 2024, in the Belgian city of Enghien, to stand in Solidarity with Palestinian Christians. The foundation is dedicated to strengthening ties with Christian churches across the Arab world
The event brought together key figures, including Monsignor Guy Harpigny, Catholic Bishop of Tournai (a sister city to Bethlehem); Hassan Balawi, First Counselor at the Palestinian Embassy in Belgium; and Serge Hustache, member of the Belgian parliament and President of the Hainaut Regional Council (which is twinned with Bethlehem Governorate).
In his address, Christian Cannuyer, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies, president of both Solidarity – Orient and the Royal Belgian Society of Oriental Studies, and professor of Catholic theology at the University of Lille in France, emphasized the need to mobilize support for Palestinian Christians, particularly Christians in Gaza who endure extreme hardships due to the ongoing Israeli crimes and indiscriminate bombardment, which has led to the killings of thousands of Palestinians and wounding many others. Cannuyer also spoke of the ongoing struggles in the West Bank, where the Palestinian people endure aggression from the Israeli occupation forces and settlers, and the catastrophe resulting from the brutal Israeli attacks in Lebanon. To respond to these crises, he announced the launch of a fundraising campaign to support relief efforts in Lebanon.
Counselor Balawi highlighted the enduring unity and resilience of the Palestinian people, regardless of religious affiliation, as a key source of strength in their struggle. He noted that Palestinian Christians have stood side by side with their Muslim compatriots, sharing in the suffering caused by the occupation and playing a vital role in the national liberation movement, both at home and abroad. Balawi cited the example of the late Naim Khader, the first director of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Brussels, who carried the Bible, the Quran, and the Palestinian flag wherever he went.
Serge Hustache raised concerns about the escalating Israeli aggression that now stretches from Gaza to Lebanon, warning that this escalation threatens the stability and security of the entire region. He urged the international community and the European Union to take a firm stance against the aggression and to implement concrete measures to bring it to an end. Hustache also cautioned against the deliberate conflation of criticism of Israeli policies with anti-Semitism, asserting that anti-Semitism is unacceptable. He criticized the disparity in global media coverage, where the 1,200 Israeli casualties of October 7 have been humanized with stories and images, while the tens of thousands of Palestinian victims of the Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank remain faceless, reduced to mere statistics and denied humanity.
Notably, President Mahmoud Abbas awarded Serge Hustache honorary Palestinian citizenship in February 2015, recognizing his ongoing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.