Slovenia becomes first EU country to impose arms embargo on Israel
The announcement comes two weeks after the Central European nation declared Israeli ministers persona non grata, the state news agency STA reported.
The arms embargo was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob after a government session on Thursday.
'Slovenia is the first European country to ban the import, export and transit of weapons to and from Israel,' the government said in a statement.
It said it was moving ahead 'independently' because the EU was 'unable to adopt concrete measures … due to internal disagreements and disunity'.
Amid the devastating war in Gaza, where 'people … are dying because humanitarian aid is systematically denied them', it was the 'duty of every responsible state to take action, even if it means taking a step ahead of others', the statement said.
It added that the government had not issued any permits for the export of military weapons and equipment to Israel since October 2023 because of the conflict.
Early in July, Slovenia – also in an EU first – banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country.
It declared both Israelis 'persona non grata', accusing them of inciting 'extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians' with 'their genocidal statements'.
In June 2024, Slovenia's parliament passed a decree recognising Palestinian statehood, following in the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain, in moves partly spurred by condemnation of Israel's bombing of Gaza.
Last week, France, the United Kingdom and Canada also announced they may recognise a Palestinian state. Israel decried these announcements, saying they were a way of rewarding Hamas for its October 7, 2023 assault on Israeli territory.
Israel has been waging a nearly 22-month war in Gaza that human rights groups and United Nations experts have compared to a genocide.
More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, with more at risk of dying from hunger as a result of Israel's blockade of the territory.
Several countries, including South Africa, have also brought cases before the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
The United States, however, has been an unwavering ally of Israel throughout its war in Gaza, and President Donald Trump has also warned that recognition of Palestinian statehood would serve as a 'reward' to Hamas.
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