Slovenia recognized Palestine as an independent state

The Government of Slovenia recognized the independence and sovereignty of the Palestinian state. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry announced this on Thursday. For final recognition, the government's decision must be approved by the National Assembly – Slovenian parliament. It is expected that this will happen in the near future.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said: "I am glad that the Slovenian government has taken this historic step. Israelis and Palestinians have the right to raise their children in peace, security and prosperity in their own states. Recognition of Palestine – the only path to peaceful coexistence of these two countries and peoples.”.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry called on other European countries to follow its example. The department emphasized that Slovenia demands a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of hostages and further reforms to support the Palestinian Authority.

Earlier, on May 28, three more European countries announced recognition of the independence of the Palestinian state: Norway, Spain and Ireland. Israel responded by announcing the recall of its ambassadors in Oslo, Dublin and Madrid.

Israel has been spending several months in the Gaza Strip – region, which belongs to the modern Palestinian Authority, – military operation. It was launched in response to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year. More than 1,200 people became victims of the jihadist attack, about 250 people – Israelis and foreigners – were taken hostage and taken to the Gaza Strip. The fate of more than a hundred of them is still unknown.

The question of the independence of the Palestinian state is connected with the concept of “two states for two peoples,” which provides for the creation of a state of Palestinian Arabs along with Israel. This concept was formalized after the Six Day War in 1967 in the form of UN Security Council Resolution 242. At the same time, there has never been unity on this issue either in Israel or among Palestinian political forces: Israeli politicians fear that an independent Palestinian state will become the basis for regular attacks on Israel, and many Palestinian radicals do not recognize the very right of the Jewish state to exist.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga