Slovenia officially recognizes Palestinian statehood in majority vote
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The decision has passed with 52 votes in favor and no votes against after the opposition SDS party walked out of the session.
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A Palestinian flag flies next to a Slovenian, center, and a European Union flag, right, at the government building in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (AP)
Slovenia became the latest country within the European Union to officially recognize the independent State of Palestine, Reuters reported Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the majority of the Slovenian parliament voted for the recognition of Palestine as an independent state, disregarding a call for a referendum by the largest opposition party in government.
On May 30, Slovenia's government, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, announced its decision to recognize the sovereignty of an independent Palestinian state, aligning with the actions taken by Spain, Ireland, and Norway.
The Slovenian government then hoisted a Palestinian flag alongside those of Slovenia and the EU outside its downtown Ljubljana premises.
This came shortly after Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store asserted, in an article for Politico, that Norway recognized the state of Palestine as it has a "fundamental, independent right to self-determination."
The vote had been scheduled for Tuesday, with a parliamentary group for foreign affairs advocating for the matter with a majority vote on Monday.
The opposition moves
However, the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of former premier Janez Jansa had submitted a proposal for a consultative referendum to delay the vote on the recognition bid for almost a month.
The largest opposition party in parliament argued that it "was not the right time" to recognize the sovereignty of an independent Palestinian state because it would "only award the terrorist organization Hamas."
The ruling coalition, however, attempted to find a way around the referendum until the SDS withdrew their proposal. Nevertheless, an identical proposal was then raised only a few hours later, which was deemed inadequate by the foreign affairs committee, and was consequently rejected during an extraordinary parliamentary session.
The decision passed with 52 votes in favor and no votes against after the opposition SDS party walked out of the session.
UN experts urge all countries to recognize Palestinian statehood
A group of UN experts has urged all countries to recognize a Palestinian state to promote peace in the Middle East. These experts, including the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, emphasized that recognizing a Palestinian state is a crucial acknowledgment of the Palestinian people's rights and their ongoing struggle for freedom and independence.
"This is a pre-condition for lasting peace in Palestine and the entire Middle East – beginning with the immediate declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza and no further military incursions into Rafah," the experts stated.
They further highlighted that a "two-state solution" remains the only internationally agreed-upon path to peace and security. Such a solution, they argued, is necessary to break the cycles of violence and resentment that have plagued the region for generations.
