Why is Slovenia the only EU country to ban arms trade with Israel?
On Thursday, it became the first EU country to ban all arms trade with Israel, including transit and imports.
In a press release, the Slovenian government explicitly outlined its concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and denounced the EU's inability to adopt such a measure because of "internal disagreements."
The decision is above all symbolic, since the Slovenian government says it has not issued any arms export permits to Israel since October 2023 because of the conflict.
This decision is intended to intensify the pressure on the Israeli state to put an end to the war in Gaza.
"All measures are on the table, we support, as we have done in the past, the suspension of the accession agreement with Israel, as well as trade sanctions and an arms embargo, sanctions against certain settlers, certain ministers and the Israeli government that supports violence", declared Tanja Fajon, Slovenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 15 July in Brussels.
"All measures must be taken as soon as possible, until there is a ceasefire, until the violence has stopped, until we have a resolution between the two countries", she added.
Falling sales
Other European countries such as Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands have not gone as far as Slovenia, but have reduced arms sales to Israel.
Belgium officially banned arms exports to Israel following the 2008-2009 Gaza war.
In the Netherlands, the Court of Appeal in The Hague annulled the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel in February 2024.
The 2013 Arms Trade Treaty prohibits states from transferring weapons that will be used to commit genocide or crimes against humanity.
In 2008, EU countries also undertook to refuse transfers of technology and military equipment that could be used to prolong armed conflicts.
"For European states, there is an obligation not only not to export equipment that could be used to commit crimes in Gaza, but also not to export equipment that could be used to maintain the land, air or naval dimensions of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories," Samuel Longuet, a researcher at the Groupe de recherche et d'information sur la paix et la sécurité (GRIP), told Euronews.
"So this covers virtually all the military equipment that could be used by the Israeli army."
Continued exports
Meanwhile, European exports of military equipment to Israel continue.
Some countries state that the parts are only assembled in Israel or that they are used as training equipment, and not in Gaza.
"The work of several human rights associations in Italy, as well as the Italian investigative press, revealed that the Italian government had just suspended the granting of new export licences, but everything that had been authorised before 7 October 2023 was still going to Israel. In particular parts for training aircraft," explains Longuet.
The transfer of dual-use technologies, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes, also poses a problem.
In Belgium, the Flemish region allowed a local company to export "screens that ended up in the control cabins of Israeli drones that were used to bomb a humanitarian convoy a few months ago," the researcher said.
"The argument put forward by the Flemish government at the time, before 7 October, in March 2023, was that this was a generic technology, a screen that could be found, yes, in a drone control cabin, but also in anything else. And so in this case, it didn't require the company supplying these screens to apply for an export licence, since it wasn't strictly speaking a military technology", he points out.
The United States is by far the leading supplier of weapons to Israel. It accounts for two-thirds of Israeli arms imports, with Germany and Italy coming in second and third places.
Germany mainly sells frigates and torpedoes, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
"What we export is a little bit of everything in fact. Parts that can be used on Israeli ships, so equipment that will be used in naval systems. We also supply parts for training aircraft," says Longuet.
"The UK and Italy, for example, export parts for the Italian M-346 aircraft used to train future Israeli fighter pilots," he explains.
At the European level, an arms embargo is unlikely to succeed. It would have to be approved unanimously by the EU Council.
However, Longuet says countries such as Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, staunch supporters of Israel, would likely block it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Netanyahu says Israel must complete defeat of Hamas to free hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday, August 5, that Israel must "complete" the defeat of Hamas in Gaza to secure the release of the remaining hostages, days ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss an updated war plan. Israeli media have said the premier is considering ordering the total occupation of Gaza, even as international pressure mounts for him to end the war, with a senior UN official warning Tuesday that expanding the fighting risked "catastrophic consequences," including to the captives held by Hamas. "It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said during a visit to an army training facility. His office later said he had held a three-hour "security discussion" with army chief Eyal Zamir, but did not disclose any new war plans. The premier's office has said the security cabinet will convene later in the week to approve new instructions. Public broadcaster Kan has reported that "Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to conquer the entire Gaza Strip." Citing cabinet members, it said Netanyahu had "decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held." But some major media outlets such as Channel 12 have suggested that the rumored expansion of operations might only be a negotiating tactic. While the reported plan has not been approved, it has already drawn angry reactions from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza's Hamas-run government. 'End the war and the famine' Hamas insisted such a move would not shift its position in ceasefire talks, demanding the withdrawal of all forces from Gaza. "The ball is in the hands of... (Israel) and the Americans," senior Hamas official Hossam Badran told AFP, adding that the militant group wanted to "end the war and the famine." UN assistant secretary-general Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council on Tuesday that a widening of the war "would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was also in New York, attending a Security Council meeting on the plight of the hostages after recent footage of weak and emaciated captives sparked shock and outrage in Israel. Over the war's 22 months, Israeli forces have devastated large parts of the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian crisis has taken hold, with UN experts recently warning of an unfolding famine. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Palestinian militants also seized 251 hostages, 49 of whom remain held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,020 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
European Commission hopes to finalize EU-US trade deal soon
Talks between European and American officials have not broken down. The deal reached by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump opened a new phase of discussions, which is expected to lead to the publication of a joint statement. Although not legally binding, the document is expected to outline the terms of the informal agreement that the two leaders reached at the Turnberry golf resort, which is owned by the US president and located on Scotland's west coast, on July 27. "The text is practically ready; we are now waiting for our American counterparts to get back to us to confirm the final details," said a senior European official. As he put it, "It takes two to tango." Nevertheless, Trump has already begun to implement his side of the deal by signing, on July 31, an executive order establishing the new tariff regime, including 15% tariffs on imports from the European Union. However, this executive order, set to take effect on August 7, will not resolve all outstanding issues. It only applies to "reciprocal" tariffs, which exclude cars and car parts. Therefore, the automotive industry remains subject to export taxes of 27.5% when shipping to the United States. "We expect a change to happen very soon," said the aforementioned official.
Euronews
6 hours ago
- Euronews
Why is Slovenia the only EU country to ban arms trade with Israel?
In the absence of a consensus at European level, Slovenia is going it alone. On Thursday, it became the first EU country to ban all arms trade with Israel, including transit and imports. In a press release, the Slovenian government explicitly outlined its concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and denounced the EU's inability to adopt such a measure because of "internal disagreements." The decision is above all symbolic, since the Slovenian government says it has not issued any arms export permits to Israel since October 2023 because of the conflict. This decision is intended to intensify the pressure on the Israeli state to put an end to the war in Gaza. "All measures are on the table, we support, as we have done in the past, the suspension of the accession agreement with Israel, as well as trade sanctions and an arms embargo, sanctions against certain settlers, certain ministers and the Israeli government that supports violence", declared Tanja Fajon, Slovenia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 15 July in Brussels. "All measures must be taken as soon as possible, until there is a ceasefire, until the violence has stopped, until we have a resolution between the two countries", she added. Falling sales Other European countries such as Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands have not gone as far as Slovenia, but have reduced arms sales to Israel. Belgium officially banned arms exports to Israel following the 2008-2009 Gaza war. In the Netherlands, the Court of Appeal in The Hague annulled the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel in February 2024. The 2013 Arms Trade Treaty prohibits states from transferring weapons that will be used to commit genocide or crimes against humanity. In 2008, EU countries also undertook to refuse transfers of technology and military equipment that could be used to prolong armed conflicts. "For European states, there is an obligation not only not to export equipment that could be used to commit crimes in Gaza, but also not to export equipment that could be used to maintain the land, air or naval dimensions of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories," Samuel Longuet, a researcher at the Groupe de recherche et d'information sur la paix et la sécurité (GRIP), told Euronews. "So this covers virtually all the military equipment that could be used by the Israeli army." Continued exports Meanwhile, European exports of military equipment to Israel continue. Some countries state that the parts are only assembled in Israel or that they are used as training equipment, and not in Gaza. "The work of several human rights associations in Italy, as well as the Italian investigative press, revealed that the Italian government had just suspended the granting of new export licences, but everything that had been authorised before 7 October 2023 was still going to Israel. In particular parts for training aircraft," explains Longuet. The transfer of dual-use technologies, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes, also poses a problem. In Belgium, the Flemish region allowed a local company to export "screens that ended up in the control cabins of Israeli drones that were used to bomb a humanitarian convoy a few months ago," the researcher said. "The argument put forward by the Flemish government at the time, before 7 October, in March 2023, was that this was a generic technology, a screen that could be found, yes, in a drone control cabin, but also in anything else. And so in this case, it didn't require the company supplying these screens to apply for an export licence, since it wasn't strictly speaking a military technology", he points out. The United States is by far the leading supplier of weapons to Israel. It accounts for two-thirds of Israeli arms imports, with Germany and Italy coming in second and third places. Germany mainly sells frigates and torpedoes, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. "What we export is a little bit of everything in fact. Parts that can be used on Israeli ships, so equipment that will be used in naval systems. We also supply parts for training aircraft," says Longuet. "The UK and Italy, for example, export parts for the Italian M-346 aircraft used to train future Israeli fighter pilots," he explains. At the European level, an arms embargo is unlikely to succeed. It would have to be approved unanimously by the EU Council. However, Longuet says countries such as Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic, staunch supporters of Israel, would likely block it.
