Slovenia acknowledges the statehood of Palestine.
In some European countries, such as Spain, Norway, and Ireland, Slovenia has joined in recognizing Palestine as an independent state. During a turbulent parliamentary session, Prime Minister Robert Golob has emphasized the significance of this move towards peace and solidarity.
Recently, Slovenia joined the movement by recognizing Palestine as an official state. The vote, which took place on Tuesday, had 52 deputies in favor of this decision. One person cast a "no" vote, while 90 parliamentarians did not participate in the ballot. Following a tumultuous week in the meeting, the opposition decided to boycott the vote. Preceding Slovenia, Spain, Norway, and Ireland also acknowledged Palestine in late May.
Referencing the liberation of Slovenia from Yugoslavia in 1991, Prime Minister Golob highlighted, "We Slovenes have longed for this liberty for a millennium. We achieved it 33 years ago; it's unfortunate that the Palestinian people haven't yet received the same right." Since Golob's coalition currently has a steady majority in parliament, he could afford to address a "message of peace and solidarity" after the vote. He strongly believes that a two-state solution is the key to bringing tranquility and stability to the Middle East.
The primary opposition party in Slovenia - the right-leaning Slovenian Democratic Party - is firmly against this decision. They initially requested a national referendum but later retracted their demand. It is worth noting that more than 140 countries worldwide have adopted Palestine as a state, which surpasses two-thirds of the United Nations' member states. Despite this, no major Western countries have followed suit.
Having said that, the United States, United Kingdom, and other Western nations are supportive of an independent Palestinian state that coexists alongside Israel. However, they maintain that this can only be achieved through a comprehensive negotiation process. This is echoed by Germany's government position as well. Prior to the vote in Slovenia, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned that the acknowledgement of Palestine as an official state would serve as a "reward" to the radical-Islamic Hamas.
