Israel on Monday summoned the Slovenian Ambassador to Israel for a reprimand, following her country’s recognition of a Palestinian state. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that the Director-General of the Ministry, Yaakov Blitshtein, “reprimanded the ambassador for her government's warped decision to recognize a Palestinian state, which is in contradiction to EU policy and the position of most of the like-minded countries.” “The Director-General emphasized that this recognition by the government of Slovenia does not promote peace, it encourages the Hamas terrorist organization, and it makes it difficult to promote a deal for the release of the hostages,” the Ministry said. Blitshtein “emphasized that Hamas led those welcoming the recognition, further evidence that this is a reward for terrorism,” it concluded. Slovenia last week officially recognized a Palestinian state, after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move. Parliament voted 52 for with no one against recognition in the 90-seat parliament. The remaining lawmakers were not present for the vote. Slovenia’s decision came days after Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state, following through with a declaration to do so the previous week. Related articles: Slovenia calls to disqualify Israel from Eurovision 2025 Slovenia officially recognizes a Palestinian state Slovenian govt. approves bill recognizing Palestinian state 'Several countries will recognize a Palestinian state on May 21' The Palestinian Authority (PA) has long urged countries to recognize “Palestine” as a means of bypassing direct talks with Israel. While several countries have recognized “Palestine” in recent years, those moves were symbolic ones that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.
