The Slovenian parliament recognized Tuesday the sovereignty of Palestine, withstanding the largest opposition party’s proposal for a referendum. The move follows the approval of a motion to recognize the Palestinian state by the government of Slovenia. The legislative body expressed optimism that this action would contribute to reducing the violence in Gaza.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon stated:

Today is a historic day! The National Assembly of Slovenia has officially recognized Palestine, making Slovenia the 147th country to do so. This recognition is an expression of our commitment to peace & justice. Slovenia is on the right side of history, contributing to the two state solution for lasting peace.

The Slovenian Democratic Party, the main opposition party in Slovenia, has expressed its opposition to the recognition of Palestine, claiming that acknowledging Palestine will not bring an end to the war in Gaza and will instead have negative consequences for Slovenian interests. The party decided to pursue a referendum on the issue which would have postponed the vote but later withdrew its motion.

Slovenia thereby joins Spain, Norway, and Ireland, who announced their intent to formally recognize Palestine in a joint statement in May. Palestine’s recognition as a sovereign state is in line with the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in Article 2 of the UN Charter. A group of UN experts on Monday called for all countries to recognize the State of Palestine, to promote peace in the Middle East and to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Many countries around the world have acknowledged Palestine’s statehood. Over 140 of the 193 United Nations member states have formally recognised it. However, it only includes a handful of countries within the 27-member European Union.