Xavier Bettel: "He who wears a tie is not yet a diplomat"

In an interview with the Tageblatt newspaper, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, who is on a working visit to the Middle East, spoke about the situation in Gaza, negotiations with Israel and Palestine, the role of the United States and the prospect of Luxembourg recognising the Palestinian state.

According to Bettel, the fragile truce in Gaza is a positive step, but doubts remain about its longevity. He emphasised that Israel risks disrupting the truce by blocking water and electricity supplies: "If hospitals run out of fuel in a few days, people will start dying." The Minister said he had personally conveyed this message to the Israeli authorities.

Bettel noted that the U.S. role under the Donald Trump administration has suddenly become more ambivalent: Israel is no longer so sure of Washington's position, especially after the U.S. began direct dialogue with Hamas. He called it an "era of unpredictability" that he believes will continue regardless of the name of the next president.

In the interview, the minister called the hostages "Hamas's life insurance", emphasising that both sides - Palestine and Israel - would like to get rid of the group. In response to the proposal to turn Gaza into a "Riviera," he said that for the first time he had received guarantees that Palestinians would not be forcibly expelled. Still, Israeli officials say the Gaza Strip must be completely rebuilt from the ground up.

Bettel admitted that the initiative to recognise Palestine has stalled due to a lack of interest from other countries, although Luxembourg had previously announced the possibility of putting forward its own diplomatic path. However, he clarified that without the release of the hostages and a concrete plan for further negotiations, Luxembourg would not take unilateral steps.

The Minister also touched on the idea of UN reform, noting the need for greater African representation and a review of the veto, suggesting its possible override with a 2/3 or 3/4 majority vote.

Bettel backed the Arab initiative to govern Gaza and expressed the view that the EU should take a similar stance: "We need a partner we can trust - and who is trusted by the local population."

Asked about Syria, Bettel expressed scepticism about the new al-Sharaa leader, calling him a "former terrorist" and said wearing a tie does not make one a diplomat.