By Canadian Press

Slovenia becomes latest European country to recognize a Palestinian state after parliamentary vote

Jun 4, 2024 | 1:03 PM

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — 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 had sent the proposal to parliament for final approval, which was needed for the decision to take effect.

Parliament on Tuesday voted 52 for, no one against recognition in the 90-seat parliament. The remaining lawmakers were not present for the vote.

Slovenia’s decision came days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized a state of Palestinian, which was condemned by Israel.

Previously only seven members of the 27-nation EU 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.

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Slovenia’s lawmakers on Tuesday convened for a vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state.

The government endorsed a motion last week to recognize a Palestinian state, and sent the proposal to parliament for final approval, which is needed for the decision to take effect.

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

Slovenia’s move came just days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized a Palestinian state, which was condemned by Israel.

The ruling coalition led by Golob holds a comfortable majority in Slovenia’s 90-member assembly and the vote is expected to be a formality.

Golob also evoked Slovenia’s independence from the former 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 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.

“Slovenia will join them,” Golob said.

Slovenia’s main opposition party, the Slovenian Democratic Party, opposes the recognition. The right-wing party has demanded a referendum on the issue that would delay the vote, but on Tuesday withdrew the bid.

Slovenia first began the recognition process in early May, but said it would wait until the situation in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza improved. Golob has explained he was speeding up the process in reaction to Israel’s latest attacks on Rafah, which have caused more than 1 million Palestinians to flee.

Israel launched the assault following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack in which militants stormed across the Gaza border into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.

Israel’s air and land attacks have since killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Ali Zerdin, The Associated Press