Latest news with #Golob
Euronews
01-08-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Slovenia becomes first EU country to ban weapons trade with Israel
Slovenia will be 'the first European country' to ban weapons trade with Israel in response to Tel Aviv's actions in Gaza, Prime Minister Robert Golob told the country's Press Agency (STA) on Friday. 'At the initiative of Prime Minister Dr. Robert Golob, the government today adopted a decision prohibiting the export and transit of military weapons and equipment from or through the Republic of Slovenia to Israel, as well as the import of such goods from Israel into the Republic of Slovenia,' according to a statement cited by STA and published on the Slovenian government's webpage. The statement added that Golob's decision stems from his promise to 'act independently' against Israel if the EU 'failed to adopt concrete measures by mid-July'. 'Due to internal disagreements and lack of unity, the European Union is currently unable to fulfil this task,' the statement said. EU member states have now repeatedly failed to rally enough support to respond to Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza. Despite a review of the EU-Israel association agreement which revealed that the country's actions in Gaza were violating human rights, the EU 27 couldn't agree on any of the 10 sanctions proposed to them, including a partial suspension of Israel's access to the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. An embargo on arms to Israel was never tabled among options for action at EU level. United Nations and EU rules state that human rights violations and war crimes should give rise to arms sales embargoes. In addition, following the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have already halted or restricted exports. Israel imports almost 70% of its arsenal from the US, the world's largest arms exporter but Germany is Israel's second supplier. Since 7 October 2023, it has exported €485 millions' worth of weapons. Italy ranks third, supplying less than 1%. Slovenia has been one of the most vocal EU countries calling for EU action against Israel. The country recognised a Palestinian state in June last year and has since repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and increased aid deliveries to the enclave. It has also declared two far-right Israeli ministers, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as personae non grata.
Middle East Eye
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Slovenia becomes first EU country to impose arms embargo on Israel
Slovenia on Thursday imposed an arms embargo on Israel citing the European Union's failure to take action to stop Israel's assault on Gaza. "At the initiative of Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Slovenian government confirmed a decision prohibiting the export and transit of military weapons and equipment from or through the Republic of Slovenia to Israel, or the import from Israel to Slovenia," a government statement read. Golob announced the decision after a government meeting, saying that his country is the first EU nation to take such a step. Two weeks ago, Slovenia was also the first EU country to declare two Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, persona non grata, accusing them of making "genocidal statements" against Palestinians. In June 2024, Slovenia followed Norway, Spain and Ireland in recognising Palestine as an independent state and has been among the most vocal European nations in its criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, with President Natasa Pirc Musar describing the onslaught as a genocide. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In their meeting in mid-July, the EU's 27 foreign ministers failed to agree on the suspension of the controversial EU-Israel Association Agreement, which covers both trade and political relations. They also failed to agree on nine other possible measures against Israel put forward after it was found to have breached the human rights provisions of the trade agreement. The measures that would have been agreed last month included full suspension of the agreement, suspension of its preferential trade provisions, an arms embargo, sanctions on Israeli ministers, or imposing a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine. Slovenia's Golob has repeatedly stated that his government would act independently if the EU fails to take concrete measures against Israel by mid-July. 'People in Gaza are dying because humanitarian aid is systematically denied them. They are dying under the rubble, without access to drinking water, food and basic medical care," Golob said. "This is a complete denial of humanitarian access and a deliberate prevention of basic conditions for survival. In such circumstances, it is the duty of every responsible state to take action, even if it means taking a step ahead of others.' The government added that more measures will be announced in the coming weeks in response to "serious violations of international humanitarian law" by Israel. Other EU countries urge sanctions On Thursday, Sweden and the Netherlands called on the EU to suspend the trade agreement with Israel over the continued Gaza siege and ban on the UN's humanitarian aid operations. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the situation in Gaza had become "utterly deplorable" and that Israel was failing to uphold its obligations with regards to the delivery of aid. Exclusive: Spain and Ireland to join more than 30 states to declare 'concrete measures' against Israel Read More » "Sweden therefore demands that the EU, as soon as possible, freezes the trade component of the association agreement," he wrote on X. "Economic pressure on Israel must increase. The Israeli government must allow unrestricted humanitarian aid in Gaza." Two days earlier, a similar stance was taken by the Netherlands, as Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp advocated suspending the trade element of the Association Agreement if aid was not stepped up in Gaza. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused the EU of double standards for failing to apply sanctions to Israel. 'It makes absolutely no sense that we've passed 18 sanction packages on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine and Europe but, with double standards, haven't even been able to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel when they are flagrantly violating Article 2 in terms of human rights,' he said in June. Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have led efforts calling for the EU to review the Association Agreement since February 2024. Israel's war on Gaza, now widely recognised as a genocide, has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Since the full siege imposed by Israel on 2 March, over 150 adults and children died of starvation and over 1,000 aid-seekers were killed while trying to reach the US-Israeli run aid distribution sites in southern Gaza.
Straits Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Slovenia imposes arms embargo on Israel
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox ATHENS - Slovenia on Thursday imposed an embargo on exports, imports and transit of arms to Israel, two weeks after it declared Israeli ministers persona non grata, the state news agency STA reported citing a government statement. The measure was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob after a government session. Golob said that Slovenia was the first European country to make such a move, STA reported. Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state in June last year and has since repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and increased aid deliveries to the enclave. Israel has denounced declarations last week by France, Britain and Canada that they may recognise a Palestinian state, saying that it would reward Hamas for its October 7, 2023 assault on Israeli territory. Earlier on Thursday U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis. REUTERS
Euractiv
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Slovenia to call consultative referendum on NATO membership
Slovenia's liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob said on Friday that he intends to call a consultative referendum on the country's NATO membership, following a surprise defeat in parliament over a related measure on defence spending. "There are only two ways: either we remain in NATO and pay membership, or we leave the alliance – everything else is populist deceit of the citizens of Slovenia," Golob said, according to a government statement. His referendum is expected to be formally tabled next week. Golob's gambit comes as part of a damage control effort in response to a successful initiative by The Left party, a junior partner in his centre-left coalition, pushing for a consultative referendum on increasing defence expenditure. In an unexpected outcome, Slovenian MPs approved The Left's proposal 46 to 42 on Friday. The referendum question will ask voters "whether they are in favour of Slovenia increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP annually in 2030, or approximately €2.1 billion". Golob's liberal Freedom Movement party voted against the initiative, while his junior coalition partners – the Social Democrats and The Left – sided with the conservative opposition to back it, deepening rifts within the ruling bloc. Discontent had been brewing since Slovenia signed up to higher NATO defence spending commitments at the NATO summit in The Hague on 24 June, which envisage members raising military expenditure to as much as 5% of GDP by 2035. Slovenia is among the few countries that failed to meet NATO's previous 2% GDP spending target in 2024, although Ljubljana stated it aimed to hit it by the end of 2025. Golob said his counter-referendum idea was intended to "dispel any doubt as to the true will of the people.' Although consultative referenda in Slovenia are not legally binding, the opposition, led by conservative SDS chief Janez Janša, has called on Golob to link a vote of confidence in the government to the outcome of the plebiscite, which Golob has dismissed. Janša, a close ally of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and a staunch Trump supporter, is said to have ambitions to return to power in parliamentary elections scheduled for 2026. (mm)
