The Central European country also recognized the Palestinian state in 2024.
Slovenia has become the first country in the European Union to ban all arms businesses with Israel for its war against Gaza.
The government’s decision comes two weeks after the central European nation declared Israeli ministers Persona Non Grata.
The arms embargo was announced Thursday by Prime Minister Robert Golob after a government session.
“Slovenia is the first European country to prohibit importation, export and transit of arms to and from Israel,” the government said in a statement.
He said he was advancing “independently” because the EU was “unable to adopt concrete measures … due to internal disagreements and disunity”.
In the midst of the devastating war in Gaza, where “people … are dying because humanitarian aid is systematically refused to them”, it was “the duty of each responsible state to take measures, even if it means taking a step ahead of the others,” the statement said.
He added that the government has not issued any permit for the export of weapons and military equipment to Israel since October 2023 due to the conflict.
In early July, Slovenia – also in the first time in the EU – prohibited two far -right Israeli ministers from entering the country.
He declared both the Israelis “Persona Non Grata”, accusing them of having encouraged “extreme violence and serious violations of human rights of the Palestinians” with “their genocidal statements”.
In June 2024, the Parliament of Slovenia adopted a decree recognizing the Palestinian State, according to the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain, in movements partly stimulated by the condemnation of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Last week, France, the United Kingdom and Canada also announced that they could recognize a Palestinian state. Israel has criticized these announcements, saying that they were a way to reward Hamas for its assault on October 7, 2023 against Israeli territory.
Israel had a war of almost 22 months in Gaza that human rights groups and United Nations experts compared to a genocide.
More than 60,000 Palestinians were killed in the military campaign of Israel, with more risk of dying of hunger due to the Israeli blockade of the territory.
Several countries, including South Africa, have also brought cases to the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel commits a genocide in Gaza.
The United States, however, was an unshakable ally of Israel throughout his war in Gaza, and President Donald Trump also warned that the recognition of the Palestinian state would serve as a “reward” in Hamas.
