Slovenia Lifts Arms Embargo on Israel

Slovenia | Photo: Shutterstock

Slovenia has lifted all of the sanctions imposed on Israel by the previous government, including the removal of the arms embargo, the cancellation of the designation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir as "persona non grata," and the ban on importing products from Judea and Samaria.

The new Slovenian government, led by Janez Janša, on Thursday canceled all decisions that had formed the basis for sanctions against Israel, including the embargo on the export and import of weapons. The decision reverses steps taken by the previous government of Robert Golob, which cited violations of international law and harm to the human rights of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and Gaza.

Among the canceled decisions is the declaration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "persona non grata" in Slovenia, as well as ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. In addition, the ban on importing products from Israel originating in Judea and Samaria was revoked. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry emphasized that these sanctions had never been implemented in practice.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said the cancellation of the sanctions restores the conditions for proper political dialogue with Israel, and that through quiet diplomacy Slovenia will be able to strengthen its role in efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East. The ministry said expanding bilateral cooperation would create opportunities in innovation, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cyber, water management, agriculture, health, science, defense and rescue, and economic cooperation.

The Slovenian Defense Ministry announced that the decision banning the export and transit of weapons and military equipment from Slovenia to Israel, and imports from Israel to Slovenia, was also canceled. The defense ministry stressed that the embargo decision had been unnecessary from the outset.

At the same time, Slovenia remains committed to respecting international law and the UN Charter, as well as to a position on a solution that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live together.