At a meeting on Thursday, the government adopted a measure to declare Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, persona non grata – unwelcome persons. Will Slovenia face a wave of retaliation due to the government’s actions?
At a time when it is losing its grip on the situation at home, the government of Robert Golob is preoccupied with the situation in the Middle East and has targeted Israel, which is destroying the Hamas terrorist cells in Gaza. Having failed with its initiatives at the level of the European Union, it has taken action at the government level. Sanctions against the two ministers of the Israeli government will not, of course, harm Israel, but the answer will surely come soon, and we Slovenians might have to pay dearly for it.
What does the Slovenian Government accuse the two Israeli officials of?
“These are the ministers who have made genocidal statements and incited extreme violence and severe human rights violations against Palestinians. They publicly advocate for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the forced eviction of Palestinians, and violence against the Palestinian civilian population. Through their statements and actions, they promote the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and Gaza. Such actions are contrary to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of July 2024 regarding Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. With this measure, the Republic of Slovenia intends to declare both ministers persona non grata.”
C. Š.
