Beyza Binnur Donmez
17 July 2025•Update: 18 July 2025
GENEVA
Slovenia will become the first EU member state to formally declare two Israeli ministers as persona non grata, citing their role in what it called the "unbearable situation" in Gaza, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon announced Thursday.
"After today's government session, we have adopted the decision to declare the Israeli Minister of National Security (Itamar Ben-Gvir) and the Finance Minister (Bezalel Smotrich) as persona non grata in the Republic of Slovenia," Fajon said, according to a post shared by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry on X.
"This is pressure on the Israeli government to improve the unbearable situation in Gaza and end the suffering of civilians," she said.
Slovenia's move follows its June recognition of the State of Palestine.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 58,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of diseases.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
