The Slovenian government on Thursday endorsed a motion to recognize a Palestinian state and and sent for parliamentary approval.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob announced on Monday that, after a series of consultations, he would place on the agenda of a Thursday government meeting a decision to forward recognition of Palestine to the National Assembly. Slovenia “will continue to coordinate with a group of like-minded countries to create maximum pressure for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” he added.
On the Thursday government session, Prime Minister Golob, Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers Asta Vrečko and Matjaž Han spoke in favor of recognizing Palestine. The Prime Minister expressed that the decision is not directed against anyone, including Israel, but is a message of peace. “The world must act in only one direction, the direction that brings lasting peace,” he said, adding that “this is in the direction of two countries.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded on Thursday that the Slovenian government’s decision “rewards Hamas for murder, rape, mutilation of bodies, beheading of babies, and strengthens the Iranian axis of evil while damaging the close friendship between the Slovenian and Israeli people.” He called on the Slovenian parliament to reject the recommendation.
According to the Slovenian Constitution, approval at the National Assembly is required for the motion to take effect, and the National Assembly adopts by a two-thirds majority vote of deputies present.
If approved at the parliament, Slovenia will become yet another EU member state that recognizes a Palestinian state. Just two days before the Slovenian government announced the recommendation, the governments of Ireland, Spain and Norway shared their intent to formally recognize Palestine in a joint announcement. On Thursday, Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris wrote on X that he very much welcomes the decision by Slovenia, as “another EU Member State joins us in recognising the State of Palestine and keeping the destination and hope for a two state solution to the fore.”
On May 10, by an emergency special session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, with a recorded vote of 143 in favour, 9 against, and 25 abstentions, that the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the UN in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations and should be admitted to membership.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates as well as the Presidency of Palestine welcomed Slovenia’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised Slovenia for expressing “its firm commitment to the two-state solution based on ending the occupation and achieving long-awaited justice for the Palestinian people,” and further called on all countries, especially European ones, that have not recognized the State of Palestine “to move forward with recognition as a step towards ending the historical injustice to which the Palestinian people have been exposed for decades of occupation, and to recognize their inalienable rights and aspirations for self-determination in their independent state.” Calling the Slovenian government’s decision a “brave and wise step,” the Presidency of Palestine similarly called on other European countries to join the group on the basis of the UN resolutions and the 1967 borders.
