Slovenia imposed a full arms embargo on Israel on Thursday, becoming the first European country to do so.
The decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a Cabinet meeting, , according to a government statement cited by the state news agency STA.
In response, an Israeli official told Ynet: “There were no security purchases in Slovenia. We don’t buy a pin from them. They simply decided on an embargo for the media and because they can, but it has no significance.”
On July 17, the Central European nation banned from any entry Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of “inciting violence” against Palestinians.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon noted that the move was “the first measure of this nature” taken by a European Union member state.
Along with eight other European nations, Slovenia requested in June that Brussels take action against goods and services originating from Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, after Ljubljana recognized a Palestinian state in 2024.
In April, Slovenian lawmakers launched a parliamentary caucus to support Israel, in a pushback against the liberal government’s pro-Palestinian policies.
The initiative makes Slovenia the 55th country to join the international network of parliamentary Israel Allies Caucuses, which promote faith-based diplomacy.
Slovenian opposition leader and former prime minister Janez Janša, a supporter of the caucus’s establishment, has pledged to move the country’s embassy to Jerusalem and revoke recognition of a Palestinian state if he returns to power.
