Slovenia declares 2 Israeli ministers personae non gratae

LJUBLJANA -- The Slovenian government on Thursday declared Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich personae non gratae, citing their incitement to violence and grave violations of Palestinian human rights through what it called "genocidal" statements.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said Slovenia is the first European Union (EU) member state to impose such a ban on the two Israeli ministers.

The decision comes after EU foreign ministers failed to reach a consensus on joint action against Israel during their meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

Slovenia, which officially recognized the State of Palestine in June 2024, has been critical of Israel's intensified military operations in Gaza. The government has called for an immediate halt to the offensive and urged Israel to allow the rapid and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.