The City of Ghent has reduced or terminated collaborations with Israeli technology firms over concerns related to their ties with the Israeli military and activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
An ad hoc commission reviewed local police use of technologies from companies such as Cellebrite (mobile data extraction), BriefCam (facial recognition through surveillance footage), and Radwin (wireless network infrastructure). Concerns were raised by associations about these companies’ close links to the Israeli security apparatus.
The partnership with Radwin has already been terminated, with maintenance contracts cancelled, according to councillor Hafsa El-Bazioui. Authorities have turned to Cambium to replace Radwin’s equipment gradually.
For BriefCam, the contract is set to expire in the spring, and steps are underway to transition to alternative solutions, El-Bazioui confirmed.
The Cellebrite case remains more complex, with El-Bazioui advocating for a "supra-local" approach to enable coordinated withdrawal across police zones and judicial services.
Ghent officials recently received a written response from Interior Minister Bernard Quintin to a letter sent on 1 August 2025.
Quintin expressed understanding of the ethical concerns raised and assured that the federal police would “pay attention” to the city’s request, according to Groen councillor El-Bazioui.
While some members of the municipal council have praised the progress made, others urged the administration not to wait for federal action.
