The Slovenian government announced, Thursday, July 17, measures to prohibit entry into its territory of two far -right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. This initiative, which targets two key partners in the Coalition of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, is presented as “A first in the European Union”.
The two ministers will be declared personae non gratae because of their “Genocidal remarks, encouraging extreme violence and serious human rights violations of the Palestinians”according to a press release. The two officials are favorable to the expansion of Jewish colonies in the West Bank and encourage “Ethnic cleaning” Just like in the Gaza Strip, denounces the centrist government.
The fundamentalist Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance and Minister of Guardianship of the West Bank within the Defense, is in favor of a total war in Gaza and in the West Bank. In August 2024, he aroused international reprobations for declared: “No one in the world will allow us to set off 2 million people [à Gaza]even if it can be justified and moral to release the hostages. »» In May, he had expressed the wish that the Gaza Strip ” be completely destroyed “ and may the Palestinian population leave it “In large numbers for third countries”.
As for Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security and head of the far -right party linked to the Otzma Yehudit settlers (“Jewish power”), he had notably affirmed, in August 2023, that « [ses] rights “ were more important than those of the Palestinians in the West Bank. He has repeatedly called upon a return of Jewish settlers to Gaza and“Emigration” of the Palestinian population.
“Pioneers”
“This is the first measure of this type in the European Union, we are in a way the pioneers”the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanja Fajon, “Even if other countries outside the continent have recently struck these two ministers with a travel ban”. “We thus send a clear message to the Israeli government: the massacre of innocent civilians must cease”she added.
The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway had announced in June sanctions against these two ministers, now struck by a travel ban in these countries, a approach then “Condemned” par Washington.
While international pressure increases on Israel because of its conduct of war in the Gaza Strip, Slovenia is very active on the subject. The country had recognized last year the Palestinian State, joining Ireland, Spain and Norway, and its president Natasa Pirc Musar recently denounced a genocide before the European Parliament. If nearly 150 countries recognize the Palestinian state, most Western countries have not taken this step.
At least 58,573 people – mainly civilians – were killed in the Gaza Strip in the Israeli military reprisal campaign after the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023, according to data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, deemed reliable by the UN.
