Slovenia turns into newest EU nation to recognise Palestine as a state | EUROtoday

Issued on: 04/06/2024 – 23:16

2 min

Slovenia’s authorities endorsed a movement final week to acknowledge a Palestinian state , and despatched the proposal to the parliament for remaining approval, which was wanted for the choice to take impact.

Lawmakers on Tuesday voted with 52 in favor and nobody towards recognition within the 90-seat parliament. The remaining lawmakers weren’t current for the vote.

“Dear people of Palestine, today’s final decision of Slovenia is a message of hope and peace,” Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said on the social media platform X. “We believe that only a two-state solution can lead to a lasting peace in the #MiddleEast . Slovenia will tirelessly continue to work on the security of both nations, Palestinians and Israelis.”

Slovenia’s resolution got here days after Spain, Norway and Ireland acknowledged a Palestinian state, a transfer that was condemned by Israel.

Previously, solely seven members of the 27-nation European Union formally acknowledged a Palestinian state. Five of them are former East bloc international locations that introduced recognition in 1988, as did Cyprus, earlier than becoming a member of the EU. Sweden’s recognition got here in 2014.

“We started talking with our allies about the recognition of Palestine in February this year,” Prime Minister Robert Golob informed lawmakers earlier than Tuesday’s vote. “At the time, the assessment was — the time is not yet ripe … we warned that we, Europe, have a … duty to act.”

The ruling coalition led by Golob holds a snug majority in Slovenia’s meeting and the vote was anticipated to be a formality.

Golob additionally evoked Slovenia’s independence from the previous Yugoslavia in 1991 in his remarks to parliament.

“We Slovenians have dreamed of this right for 1,000 years. We got it 33 years ago,” Golob mentioned. “Unfortunately, the Palestinian nation has not yet received this right.”

Slovenia’s foremost opposition social gathering, the Slovenian Democratic Party, opposes the popularity. The right-wing social gathering has demanded a referendum on the difficulty that might delay the vote, however on Tuesday withdrew the bid earlier than once more submitting one other one which was rejected by parliament.

Slovenia first started the popularity course of in early May, however mentioned it will wait till the state of affairs within the ongoing Israel-Hamas warfare in Gaza improved. Golob has defined he was rushing up the method in response to Israel’s newest assaults on the southern Gaza metropolis of Rafah , which have precipitated greater than 1 million Palestinians to flee.

The warfare was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault by which militants stormed throughout the Gaza border into southern Israel, killing 1,200 individuals and taking about 250 hostage. Israel’s air and land assaults have since killed greater than 36,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza’s Health Ministry , which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

More than 140 international locations acknowledge a Palestinian state — greater than two-thirds of the United Nations.

(AP)