Short answer: No. As of August 2026, the documented public record shows Alexander De Croo, Belgium's prime minister from 2020 to 2025, was one of the more openly critical European leaders of Israel's Gaza campaign. He called Israeli strikes "disproportionate," pushed the EU to consider trade sanctions on Israel, and Belgian Jewish community leaders publicly accused him of "hostility towards Israel." He also condemned antisemitism and increased protection for Belgium's Jewish community, but on the core question of support for Israel's actions, his record is critical, not supportive.
What Alexander De Croo has actually said and done
- November 10, 2023: As Belgian prime minister, De Croo called an Israeli strike on the Jabalya refugee camp "disproportionate," saying, "If you bomb an entire refugee camp with the intention of eliminating a terrorist, I don't think it's proportionate," while adding that Belgium would not take sides in the war, according to Al Jazeera.
- April 2024: Leaders of Belgium's principal Jewish organizations sent an open letter to De Croo criticizing what they called his "strong hostility towards Israel," which they linked to a joint Middle East trip he made with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, as reported by the European Jewish Press.
- Spring 2024: De Croo replied directly to the Jewish community leaders, writing, "I take issue with the strong hostility towards Israel that you attribute to me," while affirming that antisemitism is condemnable in all circumstances, noting stepped-up security for Belgium's Jewish community, and backing an independent national coordinator against antisemitism, per the European Jewish Press.
- May 6, 2024: De Croo said he was rallying other EU governments to impose trade sanctions on Israel, floating a ban on goods made in Israeli settlements such as dates, olive oil, and wine, and asking, "Can we now simply continue with Israel as a trading partner? I don't think so," citing the Gaza death toll. The Times of Israel noted that EU-wide sanctions of this kind had no realistic chance of passing.
- February 3, 2025: De Croo left office as Belgian prime minister; Bart De Wever was sworn in as his successor after a 234-day coalition negotiation, ending De Croo's ability to set Belgian government policy on Israel, according to France 24.
- November 17, 2025: The UN General Assembly confirmed De Croo as Administrator of the UN Development Programme. He began the role on December 2, 2025, moving him into a global development post rather than direct Middle East diplomacy, per UN Meetings Coverage.
The fuller picture
Alexander De Croo is not deceased and remains an active public figure. He served as Belgium's prime minister from October 2020 to February 2025, then in November 2025 was confirmed as Administrator of the UN Development Programme, a role he took up in December 2025 and still holds as of August 2026.
On Israel specifically, De Croo's public record during his premiership tilted critical, especially after October 7, 2023. He called Israeli strikes on Gaza "disproportionate," and by mid-2024 was actively lobbying fellow EU governments to consider trade sanctions on Israel over settlement goods and the Gaza casualty toll, a position the Times of Israel itself noted had little chance of actually becoming EU policy. That stance drew a direct rebuke from leaders of Belgium's Jewish community, who wrote him an open letter accusing him of hostility toward Israel. De Croo pushed back on the characterization while reaffirming that he considered antisemitism condemnable and that his government had increased security for Belgian Jewish institutions and backed a national antisemitism coordinator.
Since leaving Belgian politics, his public statements, including his UNDP appointment and subsequent commentary on sustainability and EU budget issues in 2026, have not centered on Israel.
The bottom line
Alexander De Croo's documented public record is one of vocal criticism of Israel's military conduct and active advocacy for EU trade sanctions, paired with stated (but contested, per Belgian Jewish community leaders) commitments to fighting antisemitism at home. He is not a supporter of Israel's actions in the sense the question implies. He left the Belgian premiership in February 2025 and now leads the UNDP.
Wear your own answer
Whatever any single European leader says or does, plenty of people want to make their own position on Israel unmistakable. Our I Stand With Israel bracelet is a simple, everyday way to do exactly that, and it sits alongside the rest of our Support Israel collection for anyone looking to back that stance with something they can wear.
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Last updated August 2026. We update these profiles as the record changes.
