At Tomorrowland 2025 in Boom, Belgium, two Israeli nationals were detained and questioned by Belgian police after attendees reported them waving a Givati Brigade flag, an emblem associated with a unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that has been linked by human rights groups to alleged war crimes amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The investigation was triggered by formal complaints filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which submitted pictures of the flag. These organizations have been active in advocating for international legal action related to recent military activities in Gaza.
The individuals were identified and briefly detained for questioning under Belgium’s war crimes legislation. No charges were filed, and the individuals were released.
The charges driving the legal action
The Hind Rajab Foundation states that the war crimes committed in during Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, include:
- Indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, homes, and hospitals;
- The use of torture and human shields;
- Mass arbitrary detention and forced displacement of civilians;
- And the deliberate infliction of conditions calculated to destroy the Palestinian population, consistent with genocide under Article 6 of the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention.
A political opinion or a legal obligation?
The legal basis for the questioning stems from Belgium’s 2003 Universal Jurisdiction Law, which allows Belgian courts to investigate and prosecute serious international crimes (such as war crimes and crimes against humanity) regardless of where they occurred or the nationality of the suspects, as long as they are physically present in Belgium.
This principle has occasionally stirred controversy, particularly when applied to politically sensitive conflicts. While supporters argue it’s a necessary tool for justice, critics caution it risks politicizing international law.
Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office, however, emphasized that the interviews were standard legal procedure in response to formal complaints and fell within the bounds of the law. The men were released after no further evidence warranted detention.
Flags at Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland, one of the world’s largest electronic dance music festivals, is known for its inclusive atmosphere and global diversity. Fans routinely wave national flags from every corner of the world, including Israel’s.
However, the flag at the center of this case was not a national flag, but that of the Givati Brigade, a specific military unit active in Gaza, documented for its role in the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and actions that violated international humanitarian law, according to human rights organizations. The Hind Rajab Foundation claims IDF’s Givati Brigade has been “involved in the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and in carrying out mass atrocities against the Palestinian population.”
What are your thoughts?
As universal jurisdiction laws expand and global conflicts grow increasingly visible, especially online, some ask whether accountability should extend to spaces like music festivals. Others argue that such venues must remain free from the weight of geopolitics, especially when legal investigations stem from harmful symbolic acts rather than individual crimes.
Tomorrowland 2025 may set a precedent for how cultural gatherings intersect with international law in the digital age.
Sources:
- Associated Press. (2025, July 21). Israelis questioned at Tomorrowland over Gaza war crimes allegations. https://apnews.com/article/israel-belgium-gaza-investigation-tommorowland-56b611e3cc63cafcf015d1156b374fc9
- Times of Israel. (2025, July 21). 2 Israelis briefly held in Belgium after activists urge their arrest for war crimes. https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-israelis-briefly-held-in-belgium-after-activists-urge-their-arrest-for-war-crimes/
- The Guardian. (2025, July 21). Belgian police question two Israelis over war crimes accusations. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/21/belgian-police-question-two-israelis-over-war-crimes-accusations
- The Jerusalem Post. (2025, July 20). Hind Rajab urges arrest, prosecution of two Givati fighters at Tomorrowland festival. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-861640
- Al Jazeera. (2025, July 21). Belgian police question Israelis over alleged Gaza war crimes. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/21/belgian-police-question-israelis-over-alleged-gaza-war-crimes
- Hind Rajab Foundation. (2025). Breakthrough: Belgian authorities arrest and interrogate Israeli war crimes suspects following complaint by Hind Rajab Foundation and GLAN. https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/perpetrators/breakthrough-belgian-authorities-arrest-and-interrogate-israeli-war-crimes-suspects-following-complaint-by-hind-rajab-foundation-and-glan
- Open Society Justice Initiative. (2022). Universal Jurisdiction: Law and Practice in Belgium. https://www.justiceinitiative.org/publications/universal-jurisdiction-law-and-practice-in-belgium
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Belgium: Law on Universal Jurisdiction. https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/belgium-law-universal-jurisdiction