The Slovenian government approved this Thursday a proposal to recognize a Palestinian state and asked parliament to do the same, two days after recognition by Spain, Norway and Ireland.
Prime Minister Robert Golob said this Thursday that his government has sent a proposal for recognition to parliament, which could meet as early as next week.
Parliamentary approval is required for the measure to come into force.
Robert Golob’s Liberal coalition, now in power, has a comfortable majority in the 90-member assembly and the vote should be a formality.
The Slovenian government’s decision came just two days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized the existence of a Palestinian state, a move that was condemned by Israel.
Thanks to this decision, Slovenia becomes the tenth member of the European Union out of 27 countries to officially recognize the Palestinian state.
Norway is not a member of the EU, but its foreign policy is broadly in line with the bloc.
Slovenia began the recognition process in early May but has said it will wait until the situation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip improves.
But Golob said this week that he was speeding up the process in response to Israel’s latest attacks on Rafah, which have caused more than a million Palestinians to flee.
More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state – more than two-thirds of the UN.
Recognition of a Palestinian state led to a sharp deterioration in relations between the EU and Israel. Spain and Ireland are pressing the EU to take action against Israel for its ongoing attacks on Rafah in southern Gaza.
Portugal is not part of the group of countries that recognize Palestine as a state.
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip was sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people, according to Israel.
Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said the offensive launched by Israel after the attack had already killed more than 36,200 people and destroyed many infrastructures in the Palestinian enclave.
At least 81,777 people have been injured in the devastated Palestinian territory, the majority (about 75%) women and children, as Israeli bombing continues.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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