Slovenia becomes latest EU country to recognize Palestinian state
Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state on Tuesday after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move, following in the recent steps of three other European countries.
Slovenia’s government endorsed a motion last week to recognize a Palestinian state, and sent the proposal to the parliament for final approval, which was needed for the decision to take effect, according to AP.
Lawmakers on Tuesday voted with 52 in favor and no one against recognition in the 90-seat parliament. The remaining lawmakers were not present 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.
Slovenia’s decision came days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized a Palestinian state, a move that was condemned by Israel.
Previously, only seven members of the 27-nation European Union officially recognized a Palestinian state. Five of them are former East bloc countries that announced recognition in 1988, as did Cyprus, before joining the EU. Sweden’s recognition came in 2014.
Addressing the parliament, Prime Minister Robert Golob evoked Slovenia’s independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
“We Slovenians have dreamed of this right for 1,000 years. We got it 33 years ago,” Golob said. “Unfortunately, the Palestinian nation has not yet received this right.”
More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state — more than two-thirds of the United Nations.
On November 15, 1988, during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat unilaterally proclaimed an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.
He made the announcement in Algiers, at a meeting of the exiled Palestinian National Council. Minutes later, Algeria became the first country to officially recognize an independent Palestinian state.
Within weeks, dozens of other countries, including much of the Arab world, India, Turkey, most of Africa and several central and eastern European countries followed suit.
The next wave of recognitions came in late 2010 and early 2011, at a time of crisis for the Middle East peace process.
South American countries including Argentina, Brazil and Chile answered calls by the Palestinians to endorse their statehood claims.
This came in response to Israel’s decision to end a temporary ban on Jewish settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
The new wave of recognition of a Palestinian state came after Israel launched its devastating war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Since then, the regime has killed more than 36,550 Palestinians – mostly women and children.
On Wednesday, Israel’s military pounded central Gaza with heavy air strikes, killing more Palestinians in the besieged territory, AFP reported.
Bombardment of central Gaza killed 11 people near the Al-Maghazi camp and two near Deir al-Balah, said witnesses and Palestinian civil defense and hospital officials.