Slovenia vetoes joint EU condemnation of Israeli settlement plans on West Bank

Slovenia blocked a planned European Union joint statement condemning Israeli intentions to expand settlements on the occupied West Bank, a move that prevented the EU from issuing a unified message on the issue.

The decision came after Ljubljana used its veto on language that would have been adopted "on behalf of the European Union and its 27 member states", shrinking the response to a personal statement by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas instead.

Prime Minister Janez Janša’s government has moved closer to Israel since he returned to power in May, and his shift in foreign policy is cited as a factor behind Ljubljana’s refusal to back the joint EU wording. The Israeli plan to build a settlement in the E1 area — a zone considered strategic because it would link the northern and southern West Bank — prompted strong reactions across Europe.

Domestic backlash in Slovenia

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar publicly criticised the government’s veto and urged a clear, united European response. She said: "International law is not a matter of political choice and there must not be double standards in its observance. It applies equally to everyone."

Pirc Musar added that her country’s historical experience makes it sensitive to sovereignty and territorial integrity, and warned that "When these principles are violated, Slovenia must be among the countries that clearly defend them." Opposition parties — Freedom Movement, the Social Democrats and Levica — also condemned the cabinet’s move, arguing the veto favours Israel at Slovenia’s expense and risks harming the country’s international reputation.

Critics asked how far Janša might go in aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The government’s choice has drawn scrutiny after reports that during the May election campaign the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube attempted to influence matters in Janša’s favour, and after Janša hosted right-wing Israeli activist Yossi Dagan with VIP treatment during a June visit to Ljubljana.

Despite Janša’s generally pro-Israel rhetoric, he backed the idea in June of EU sanctions on Israeli companies that would build in the E1 area — a position that revealed tensions inside Ljubljana’s evolving stance while European capitals reacted strongly to the Israeli plan.

Photo: press material from the event