Slovenia said on Thursday it will impose an embargo on exports, imports and transit of arms to Israel, becoming the first European country to do so over the war in Gaza.
The announcement came two weeks after the EU nation declared Israeli ministers persona non grata.
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, the state news agency STA reported.
In a statement, the government said it was moving ahead “independently” because the bloc was “unable to adopt concrete measures… due to internal disagreements and disunity.”
Amid the devastating war in Gaza, where “people… are dying because humanitarian aid is systematically denied them,” it was the “duty of every responsible state to take action, even if it means taking a step ahead of others,” the statement said.
It added that the government had not issued any permits for the export of military weapons and equipment to Israel since October 2023 because of the conflict.
Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state in June last year, following in the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain, and has since repeatedly called for a cease-fire in Gaza and increased aid deliveries to the enclave.
Over the last week, France, Britain and Canada have also announced their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state.
Early in July, Slovenia – also in a EU first – banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country.
It declared both Israelis “persona non grata,” accusing them of inciting “extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements.”
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