Tiny European Country Becomes First In EU To Impose Arms Embargo On Israel

Tiny Slovenia has become the first European Union member state to completely halt arms trade with Israel over its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

The decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government meeting on Thursday, and it features a ban on the transit of weapons to and from Israel. „The government of Slovenia is the first in the EU to prohibit the import, export, and transit of military equipment involving Israel,” an official statement in state news agency STA indicated.

Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob

Slovenia clarified that it was taking this step on its own, and complained about a lack of unified action within the European Union due to internal disagreements on the question of policy toward Israel.

The statement from Slovenia on the new drastic arms ban focused on the spiraling humanitarian crisis based on lack of food and aid, which has resulted in at least dozens or more Palestinians dying from hunger. „It is the duty of any responsible country to act, even if that means taking the lead,” the government statement said.

„We have been clear from the beginning: if the EU is not able to take concrete measures by mid-July, we will act on it ourselves in Slovenia. And that’s what we did today.”

However, Slovenia has for some time stopped approving any arms export licenses to Israel – a status quo which has been in effect since October 2023. The prime minister is actually threatening more punitive actions to come, targeting Israel:

„People in Gaza are dying because humanitarian aid is systemically disabled,” he continued. „They are dying under ruins, with no access to drinking water, food and basic medical care. It’s a total disruption of humanitarian access and conscious prevention of basic conditions for survival.”

„Slovenia will always stand on the side of international law and human rights,” he added. „In the coming weeks, we will prepare additional measures against the Israeli government’s actions, which mean serious violations of international humanitarian law.”

Slovenia, which has also been a member of NATO since 2004, is among small European states which have issued formal recognition of Palestinian statehood (done in June 2024).

Just this summer and in the past week, France, the UK, and Canada have said they plan to recognize Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.

Slovenia banning arms to and from Israel is much more meaningful than EU states recognizing a toothless Palestinian state with no enforceable borders as they continue to arm Israel https://t.co/GrbHIbMYPx

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) August 1, 2025

Meanwhile Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Thursday said the quiet part out loud amid an emerging diplomatic war against Israel, saying the country was in danger of becoming isolated.

Wadephul said Berlin is trying to prevent this. „Israel must always find friends, partners, and supporters in the international community. And that is currently in danger in this situation. And if there is one country that has a responsibility to prevent this, then in my view it is Germany,” he told reporters on a trip to Israel.