Slovenia Urges EU to Address Uneven Response to Israel, Russia

Slovenia’s top diplomat warned the European Union risked projecting a double standard if it failed to take Israel to task for the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip even as it moves ahead with additional sanctions against Russia. 

Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of violating international law and committing “clear genocidal acts” and said that the EU had failed to impose a “single real measure” against Israel. 

She contrasted the bloc’s relative inaction on Gaza with the consensus about the need to punish the Kremlin for its war on Ukraine — a policy that she said the Slovenian government “fully” supported. 

“I really hear a lot of criticism from our global partners that don’t understand us — the way we are reacting on the distinct conflicts,” Fajon said in an interview in her office in Ljubljana. “I do hope there will be even more, growing pressure from our societies” on Israel.

The comments lay bare divisions between EU member states on how to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza even as several have become more vocal in rebuking the Israeli government. European nations have stepped up criticism of Israel’s plans to push further into the enclave’s de facto capital, Gaza City. 

Slovenia, an Alpine nation of just over 2 million people, has sought to take a lead among EU states in criticizing the spiraling toll. The country became the first member to ban all weapons trade with Israel at the end of July, weeks after it declared two Israeli cabinet members personae non gratae. It followed the measures with a ban on the trade of goods from occupied Palestinian territories.

It’s joined Ireland, Spain and Norway in recognizing Palestine as an independent state. In late July, French President Emmanuel Macron said he’d do the same, provoking backlash from Israel. 

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump called for an end “soon” to Israel’s war with Hamas, even as he continued to back Netanyahu — and declined to urge him by name to stop the stepped up campaign in Gaza.

Going It Alone

The hardening view in Europe reflects increasing frustration with Netanyahu’s government, risking Israel’s deeper global isolation. Germany, one of the bloc’s staunchest allies of Israel, this month halted deliveries of military equipment that could be used in Gaza. 

Slovenia’s moves so far have been largely symbolic, with some €214 million in trade with Israel in 2024. However, the government in Ljubljana has said other nations may join its efforts to force Netanyahu to end the war, which has led to more than 62,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. They also represent a dramatic shift for the country, which, under the previous Prime Minister Janez Jansa, was a staunch Israel ally.

Fajon said she pushed for an EU response on Gaza after a review of Israel’s cooperation agreement showed “clear” violations of international law, but member states deadlocked on reaching an agreement for taking action. 

“For that reason, we agreed that we will go ahead on our own,” the minister said. While acknowledging that bigger EU states had shifted toward a more critical stance, she said she didn’t “see really sufficient movement.” 

More vocal criticism of Israel has proven to be politically difficult in some EU capitals. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was rebuked by some of his conservative allies for failing to communicate his decision on weapons — and for potentially jeopardizing Berlin’s support for the Jewish state. 

Last week, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp resigned after fellow cabinet members refused to support sanctions against Israel, fracturing the caretaker coalition. 

Double Standard

Slovenia will have a greater voice at the United Nations General Assembly next month, with a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. Fajon suggested that as many as 10 more nations will recognize Palestinian sovereignty after the meeting in New York. 

Fajon, who is a deputy prime minister in Slovenia, made reference to last week’s declaration of a famine in Gaza by a UN-backed body, which prompted little movement within the EU. And yet, “we are discussing the 18th package of sanctions against Moscow,” the minister said.

There is a sense “the whole international community failed a test of humanity,” she said.

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