Euractiv reports on a coalition crisis in Belgium:
Here we have two sides.For weeks, tensions have been brewing inside Belgium's delicate five-party coalition government, with three of the parties growing impatient with what they see as the executive’s silence on Israel's ongoing war and the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip.So far, Belgium has no unified position on whether to officially recognise a Palestinian state, no agreement on whether to sanction Israel over alleged abuses and violations of international law, and no decision on whether to label the situation in Gaza a genocide.Ahead of the Thursday's showdown, CD&V leader Sammy Mahdi vented his frustration on public broadcaster VRT: "Let’s hope the government meets soon, and that when the ministers return from holiday, they understand that in times of genocide, this is where they should be."
One asserts the absolute morality of their position - there is a genocide in Gaza, Israel is evil, recognizing a Palestinian state will help bring peace.
The other says, we're not so sure, there are a lot of factors, we disagree with some of what you say but we agree there is a humanitarian crisis and we don't like war, we are not comfortable with immediate action.
When it is framed in the media and to the world, one side is moral and the other side is wishy-washy.
What politician doesn't want to be on the side of clear moral lines and a black and white world where they can be seen to be on the right side? What politician wants to look indecisive, weak, or perhaps immoral themselves?
Those who defend Israel are never unequivocal about it. They always add a "but" - we disagree with the government, we hate Smotrich, the settlers or occupation are the real problem. That's because Israel's defenders, even when they are wrong, care about truth.
The other side has no such compunctions. If you don't support their side, you support genocide!
The framing makes people want to trust the absolutist side. The outrage over Gaza makes disagreeing sound callous. The media prefers simple narratives. Social media rewards absolutist rhetoric over nuance.
Even though Israel is morally right, the world never says that - Israel's friends only invoke historic antisemitism, or Israel's right to defend itself within certain constraints.
And that is the problem. Israel's side is never presented in the same good vs. evil frame, even though that is a lot closer to the truth.
When the world is given a choice between absolutes and a bunch of caveats, most people gravitate towards the absolutes. And we are seeing this play out in real time.
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