Slovenian minister calls on EU states to recognise Palestine
Slovenia’s Foreign Minister has urged other EU nations to join her country in taking steps to recognise a Palestinian state.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon called for international pressure on the Israeli government to end its war on Gaza. “I believe it is the right time,” Ms Fajon said in Abu Dhabi, during a diplomatic visit to the UAE. “If we wait longer, then I think that it is going to be lost, or there will no more be an opportunity, and who knows how many Palestinians will still be in Gaza.”
None of the EU’s 27 states formally recognise Palestine, but the war has prompted calls to revitalise the Middle East peace process by bringing Palestinian statehood closer. Last Thursday, Slovenia – a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council – initiated the procedure for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Spain and Ireland are also moving towards this recognition.
“I’m really glad to see that our government had this courage in these days to launch the procedure for the recognition of Palestine,” said Ms Fajon.
Acknowledging that while Slovenia’s parliament will have the final say, her country is, in parallel, trying “to pursue our international partners to follow us”.
“We are also creating pressure on our EU partners and other partners to follow us and I believe that this process, in Slovenia at least, was an important step and an irreversible step. I do hope we will also convince others,” said Ms Fajon.
Last week, the UN General Assembly in New York voted in favour of supporting Palestine’s bid for full UN membership.
The resolution, introduced by the UAE and proposed in the name of 22 Arab countries, was co-sponsored by about 65 states. The US, Israel and seven other members rejected it.
Ms Fajon said it is time to press all sides to end the war, which has led to “severe violations” of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
She emphasised the need to “increase the pressure on all involved to restrain from further
hostilities”. While Israel has a right of self-defence, “this right at some point stops when it crosses the line”, she added.
“The tool today is to have pressure on the government in Israel,” said Ms Fajon.
The Pentagon said last week that it had paused a shipment of weapons to Israel as the assault on Rafah intensified.
US President Joe Biden said he would halt other weapons transfers to Israel if it were to invade the southern Gaza city.
When questioned about the possibility of European sanctions on Israel, Ms Fajon hinted at discussions on the matter.
“You asked me if there is a time for sanctions against Israel. It is in the pipeline. It is a discussion also inside the European Union, but they always need a certain consensus.”
Asked if the sanctions under discussion were economic, political or diplomatic, she said: “I believe it’s a combination of them all.”
However, this unprecedented step would need much debate before it is decided one way or the other.
“There are historical reasons. There are economic reasons. There are many reasons. We are having also European elections at the beginning of June. So there is a lot of consideration about the timing, about what will it bring, and is it a good moment,” said Ms Fajon.
The International Court of Justice ordered Israel in January to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention adopted by the UN in 1949, and to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts against Palestinians after South Africa accused it of stateled genocide in Gaza.
Egypt said on Sunday that it was joining the case, and Ms Fajon hinted that Slovenia might take a similar stance.
“In regard to the case of South Africa, we are still considering. The government hasn’t taken the final step. But it is possible to be moving towards the direction to also join the South African case. ”
Slovenia became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in January for the second time in its history.
After its election by a majority of 153 votes, and after three months as an observer, it will participate in decisions during the 2024–2025 term.
Its agenda is focused on peace, security, climate change, poverty and women’s empowerment.
Ms Fajon is her country’s first female Foreign Minister.
“We need women in equal numbers in high positions in politics, in business, but we are far away from that,” she said. “It is a longer journey for a woman to be in politics,” she added. Ms Fajon, who visited Egypt and was heading to Saudi Arabia, is touring the region to also call for strengthening ties with the Middle East, especially the Gulf and the UAE, where there is a possibility for bigger investments and collaboration in fields including artificial intelligence.
“It’s a region that is developing fast, so it offers also a lot of opportunities, and hopefully our little country with our know-how of specific areas can also share this knowledge,” she said.
Israel’s devastating war in the small coastal territory against the militant group Hamas has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
The war broke out on October 7 after Hamas attacked towns across southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting about 240 to be held as hostages.
Ms Fajon says there are discussions among EU members about the possibility of sanctions against Israel