Slovenia mulls entry ban for Israeli PM Netanyahu
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Slovenia debates barring Milorad Dodik and Netanyahu from entry, citing ICC warrant and legal issues, with a decision expected in upcoming sessions.
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A Palestinian flag flies next to a Slovenian flag, center, and a European Union flag, right, at the government building in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Thursday, May 30, 2024 (AP)
The Slovenian government debated on Thursday, August 28, whether to ban Milorad Dodik, the president of Bosnia's Republika Srpska, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the country.
According to the N1 news portal, the government added a confidential item to the agenda just before Thursday's session. The portal reported that the item outlined the reasons for banning Dodik, who was stripped of his office as president of the Bosnian Serb entity by the country's central election commission following a final conviction, and Netanyahu, who is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
When asked by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) about a potential entry ban for the two, the Foreign Ministry merely responded that the government is reviewing confidential materials and cannot comment on their content. According to unofficial information from the STA, the government is considering the ban.
Decision on entry ban expected at upcoming session
N1 also reported that the government did not complete its discussion, as the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs still needs to finalize the materials, but a decision on the entry ban is expected to be made at an upcoming session.
Slovenia has been a proactive country in supporting Palestine, being one of the few European Union countries to recognize a state of Palestine, and banning all trade with "Israel".
On June 5, 2024, the Slovenian parliament voted in favor of recognizing Palestine as an independent state, overriding calls for a referendum by the country's largest opposition party. The decision passed with 52 votes in favor and no votes against, after the country's opposition, the SDS party, walked out of the session.
On August 6, the Slovenian government announced in a statement that it would ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements and had approved an additional aid package for Gaza. The government directed ministries to consider banning the exports of Slovenian goods to Israeli settlements.
