Slovenia becomes First EU country to ban weapons trade with Israel over Gaza war
By Alpaslan Düven-London
Ljubljana — Slovenia announced Thursday it will impose a complete ban on the import, export, and transit of weapons to and from Israel in response to the ongoing war in Gaza, becoming the first European Union nation to enact such a measure.
In a statement released late Thursday, the Slovenian government said it was taking independent action after the EU failed to reach consensus on imposing collective sanctions, citing internal disagreements among member states.
“Slovenia is the first European country to ban the import, export, and transit of weapons to and from Israel,” the government declared. “The EU has proven unable to adopt concrete measures due to internal disunity. In light of the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, every responsible country must act — even if it means stepping out ahead of others.”
The government emphasized that no permits for exporting military weapons or equipment to Israel had been issued since October 2023, when the current phase of the Israel-Gaza conflict began following Hamas’ attacks on southern Israel. Slovenia has repeatedly condemned the scale of Israel’s retaliatory bombardment, citing the high civilian death toll and restricted humanitarian access in Gaza.
In addition to the weapons ban, Slovenia has taken other strong stances against Israeli policies. Earlier in July, it barred two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, declaring them “persona non grata” for inciting extreme violence and making what it described as “genocidal statements” targeting Palestinians.
The latest move builds on Slovenia’s diplomatic efforts to push for peace and accountability in the Middle East. In June 2024, its parliament formally recognized the State of Palestine, following similar steps by Ireland, Norway, and Spain.
Slovenia’s government has framed these actions as part of a broader commitment to human rights and international law, calling on other EU members to take meaningful steps toward ending the war in Gaza and promoting a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.