The Slovenian government on Thursday approved a motion to recognise a Palestinian state and submitted it to parliament for approval.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said on MondayAfter a series of consultations, he plans to put on the agenda of a government meeting on Thursday a decision to submit Palestine's recognition to parliament, he said, adding that Slovenia “will continue to work with a group of like-minded countries to apply maximum pressure for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”
At a government meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Golob said: Minister Asta Vrecko and Deputy Prime Minister Matiash Han Recognize Palestine. The Prime MinisterThe decision is not directed at anyone, including Israel, but is a message of peace. “The world must act in only one direction, the direction that will bring lasting peace,” he said, adding, “This is the direction of two countries.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz responded on Thursday, saying the Slovenian government's decision “encourages Hamas to commit murder, rape, mutilation of corpses and beheading of infants, strengthens Iran's axis of evil and undermines the close and friendly relations between the Slovenian and Israeli peoples.” Katz called on the Slovenian parliament to reject the recommendation.
According to the Slovenian Constitution, the motion needs to be approved by Parliament before it can take effect.The Diet adopts bills by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present.
If approved by parliament, Slovenia would become another EU member state to recognise the state of Palestine. Just two days before the Slovenian government released its recommendation, the governments of Ireland, Spain and Norway announced in a joint statement their intention to formally recognise Palestine. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris wrote to X that he warmly welcomed Slovenia's decision, saying, “Another EU member state has joined us in recognising the State of Palestine, putting forward the path and aspirations for a two-state solution.”
May 10th, The UN General Assembly, in an emergency special session, adopted a resolution by a recorded vote of 143 in favour, 9 against, with 25 abstentions, stating that the State of Palestine is eligible to join the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the UN Charter and should be admitted to membership.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Palestinian Presidency welcomed Slovenia's decision to recognize the state of Palestine. In a statement released on Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised Slovenia for expressing its “firm commitment to a two-state solution based on an end to the occupation and the realization of long-awaited justice for the Palestinian people,” and called on all countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine, particularly European countries, to “proceed with recognition as a step towards ending the historical injustice to which the Palestinian people have been subjected during decades of occupation, and to recognize their inalienable right and aspiration for self-determination in an independent state.” The Palestinian Presidency called the Slovenian government's decision a “brave and wise step,” and similarly called on other European countries to join the group based on UN resolutions and the 1967 borders.
