Against that backdrop, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken marked the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre with a three-word message in Hebrew: “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “The people of Israel live,” accompanied by two blue-and-white hearts.
The message was posted at precisely 6:29 a.m., symbolically marking the time Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Francken has long been an outspoken supporter of Israel, repeatedly criticizing previous Belgian governments over what he described as their hostile and unfair treatment of a democratic country.
In November 2023, he condemned ministers in the previous Belgian government who refused to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, as well as those advocating boycotts of Israel. In June 2025, Francken told Al Arabiya that he believed Israel should retain the monopoly on nuclear weapons in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat to the West.
I’m Israel’s new Ambassador to Belgium.
Enchanté, aangenaam!
Confession: I asked @Grok to help me introduce myself to Belgians.
We both know that strong relationships begin with a willingness to listen and learn, whatever the language.
I’m here to do both!
🇮🇱🇧🇪
@BelgiumMFA @IsraelMFA
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) October 8, 2026
The Belgian defense minister is not Israel’s only supporter within the country’s governing coalition.
Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the Reformist Movement (MR), the second-largest party in Belgium’s coalition, attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of October 7 this week alongside Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, David Saranga.
In his speech, Bouchez expressed strong support for Israel and the Jewish community. He emphasized Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and explicitly addressed the threat posed to Israel by the Iranian regime.
Last week, on October 7, Saranga presented his credentials to Belgium’s King Philippe, formally beginning his tenure as Israel’s ambassador.
Reflecting on the significance of the date, Saranga wrote on X: “In Israel, pain and hope often share the same day. That is how it is for me today.”
“On the day we commemorate the October 7 massacre, I will present my credentials to the king of Belgium as Israel’s ambassador. I will enter the palace carrying the memory of those murdered and our determination to live, create and prosper. Our enemies murdered our people. They did not break our spirit.”
Ambassador Saranga presents his credentials
(Photo: Belgian Royal Household)
Upon taking up his post, Saranga also launched a series of artificial intelligence-generated videos introducing himself to the Belgian public in French, Flemish and Arabic.
In the videos, the Israeli ambassador calls for an end to boycotts against Israel and discusses Israel’s struggle against radical Islam, warning that the threat also exists on European soil in the form of dormant terrorist cells.
Saranga also calls for dialogue with moderate Muslim communities. “Many in Europe already recognize the threat posed by radical Islamist organizations. These terrorist networks have existed on European soil for years, some active and others dormant. As democratic countries that cherish freedom and life, we have a responsibility to confront this challenge,” he said. Saranga has been among the pioneers of artificial intelligence in public diplomacy.
As early as 2023, Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a series of videos under the title “AI Diplomacy,” featuring Saranga speaking eight different languages in an effort to reach diverse audiences around the world.
Recent technological advances have made it possible to incorporate increasingly sophisticated facial expressions and emotional nuances into AI-generated videos, providing diplomats with new ways to communicate with local populations even when they do not speak their languages.