Cedric Vloemans, at The Blogs

Jun 17, 2025, 10:40 AM

Generated image of an innovative and climate-neutral agricultural environment

When it comes to international discourse on Israel, one theme dominates almost everything else: conflict. Whether it’s war, occupation, international condemnations or political gridlock, the media’s gaze remains fixated on confrontation. Rarely do we see headlines about the ways...

Jun 16, 2025, 1:10 PM

Cracks at the top: is Iran’s inner circle trying to flee?

Ali Khamenei (khamenei.ir, 2025, CC BY 4.0)

"Anyone who leaves Iran betrays the revolution." Those were the words of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — a stark warning to dissidents, intellectuals, and anyone tempted by exile. But what if the ones now trying to leave...

Jun 15, 2025, 3:18 PM

Protecting Belgium’s Jews: Facts Over Fear

A Hasidic family in Antwerp (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Legitimate concern, unwarranted panic: Chikli and the safety of Jews in Belgium In a dramatic statement, Israel's Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, claimed that Belgium can no longer protect its Jews. In an interview, he declared that Brussels had...

Jun 11, 2025, 4:20 PM

The Death Toll Only Counts When Israel Makes It

A photorealistic image of a global media control room.

International outrage over civilian casualties in Gaza has never been louder, especially since Israel launched a large-scale military operation in response to the horrific Hamas massacre on October 7. Critics accuse Israel of “disproportionate violence,” “ethnic cleansing,” or even...

Jun 10, 2025, 2:38 PM

The Futility of Thunberg’s Gaza Symbolism

Greta Thunberg in Stockholm 2024 (Kushal Das, CC BY-SA 4.0)

On June 9th, the sailing vessel Madleen, carrying Greta Thunberg among others, was intercepted by the Israeli navy while en route to Gaza. The boat was diverted to the Israeli port of Ashdod — a move some frame as...

May 30, 2025, 5:32 PM

Recognizing ‘Palestine’: Opening Pandora’s Box

Why Recognizing ‘Palestine’ as a State Changes Nothing — and May Make Everything Worse Once again, European countries are opting for the symbolic recognition of a "Palestinian state." After Sweden in 2014, now Ireland, Spain, and Norway are following suit,...

May 29, 2025, 3:23 PM

Yes, Gazans need the GHF to survive, not UNRWA

Displaced Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip (UNRWA, 2024. CC BY-SA 4.0)

Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: A Necessary Reorientation of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza Introduction The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of the most complex and controversial conflicts of our time. For years, food and medical aid in the Gaza...

May 26, 2025, 11:35 AM

Jerusalem Day: Commemorating an Eternal Bond

Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall. (2008, Berthold Werner)

Every year on the 28th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, Israel celebrates Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day—to commemorate the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. For many in the Arab world, it is a day of protest or anger, but for...

May 22, 2025, 3:51 PM

The myth regarding the occupation of Palestine

Israeli and Palestinian flags next to each other. (Wikicommons, Public Domain. CC-BY-SA-3.0-migrated)

The Situation These developments underscore the urgency of a sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For decades, the Middle East has been a powder keg whose fuse never seems to be extinguished. Time and again — you could almost set your...

May 20, 2025, 12:30 PM

Outrage over Israel’s song, silence over Rwanda’s war

UCI Headquarters (Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)

In the months leading up to, during, and even after the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, public outrage over Israel’s participation was widespread. Petitions circulated, op-eds practically wrote themselves, and calls for cultural boycotts rang loudly across social media, newsrooms,...

About Me

Cedric Vloemans (b. 1982, Antwerp) studied history at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and is currently based in Belgrade, Serbia. He works in the telecom and ICT sector, combining analytical precision with a deep-rooted passion for historical inquiry. With a longstanding interest in the histories, politics, and cultures of both Belgium and the Middle East—particularly Israel—he examines shifting international perspectives and contested media narratives. Cedric has contributed opinion and analysis pieces to platforms such as CIDI (Netherlands) and Joods Actueel (Belgium), where his writing often intersects historical context with current geopolitical developments. Drawing on both academic training and lived experience in Southeastern Europe, he aims to challenge simplifications in public discourse and foster a more nuanced understanding of complex regional dynamics. He is especially interested in the legacy of historical memory, the role of identity in conflict, and the evolving discourse on Israel in European media.

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