At a time when the Foreign Minister of Slovenia is mourning the late “butcher of Tehran,” Ebrahim Raisi, and representatives of the authorities are pointing fingers at each other in assigning blame as to why Slovenia has not yet recognised Palestine, Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) is pointing to a different path. They propose that the country recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its embassy there. The embassy is currently located in Tel Aviv.
“Several allied countries, including the USA, have already recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved their embassies there. The Netherlands expressed its intention to do so a few days ago. Slovenia could join this group of countries and thus express its commitment to resolving conflicts on the basis of real facts,” the SDS party wrote.
Accordingly, SDS MP Žan Mahnič addressed a written parliamentary initiative to the government. We are publishing the initiative in its entirety below:
“The relocation of the Slovenian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is in line with the Israeli Basic Law – “Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel” (1980), which officially designates Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Starting from respect for Israel’s sovereign decision and the right of self-determination of its citizens regarding its capital, the relocation of the embassy brings Slovenia’s diplomatic relations with Israel in line with the established legal and political order of the host country.
This decision would strengthen Slovenia’s bilateral relations with Israel and show respect for Israel’s culture, history, identity and laws. By doing so, Slovenia would be expressing its support for Israel’s independence, sovereignty and self-determination. In addition to strengthening diplomatic ties, this decision would also contribute to fostering greater economic, technological and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Slovenia follows international legal norms and the sovereign right of nations to determine their capitals.
The proposal for Slovenia to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is based on several factors:
Recognition of reality: Jerusalem has been the seat of the Israeli government since 1948. It is home to key state institutions such as the Presidential Residence, the Parliament (Knesset) and the Supreme Court. Recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a mere formal recognition of an existing reality.
Support for the peace process: the relocation of the embassy and the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could give new impetus to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. Clearly defining the status of Jerusalem could remove one of the key obstacles in the negotiations, allowing for more focused and effective negotiations following the dismantling of the Iranian-influenced terrorist organisations that are preventing peace in the Middle East.
Strengthening bilateral relations: This step would strengthen bilateral relations between Slovenia and Israel. Israel is an important partner of Slovenia in the fields of technology, innovation and security. Strengthening these relations would bring many benefits for both countries.
International precedents: Several allied countries, including the USA, have already recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved their embassies there. The Netherlands expressed its intention to do so a few days ago. Slovenia could join this group of countries to express its commitment to resolving conflicts on the basis of real facts.”
Ž. K.
