Netanyahu sees Slovenia as a key to more pro-Israel EU

Netanyahu's remarks in his first-ever meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša fits with his longstanding strategy to foster relations with Central and Eastern European countries.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting with Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša in Jerusalem, December 8, 2020 (photo credit: OHAD TZVEIGENBERG‏/POOL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting with Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša in Jerusalem, December 8, 2020
(photo credit: OHAD TZVEIGENBERG‏/POOL)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has added Slovenia to the list of European Union states that can vote in Israel’s favor in Brussels, he hinted in remarks at the start of the meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša on Tuesday.
After years of taking a more pro-Palestinian stance, Slovenia has shifted towards Israel in recent years under the leadership of Janša, who has been nicknamed “the Slovenian Trump” for his right-wing populist positions.
Slovenia will also be one of three presidents of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021.
Netanyahu remarked that Slovenia has taken a different view on the Abraham Accords, in which Israel established diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, compared to other EU states.
“This is a new reality, completely different from what is commonly thought of in the foreign ministries and chancelleries of Europe. And some of our European friends already get it. I’m glad you’ve always seen it,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister added: “I hope that you can facilitate, in your role in the EU presidency, to have the EU understand that this is a different world and there are different opportunities, different alliances for the good, for the better.”
Netanyahu’s remarks in his first-ever meeting with Janša fits with his longstanding strategy to foster relations with Central and Eastern European countries – such as the Visegrad Group of Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia – that can create positive diplomatic leverage for Israel within the EU.
Janša said “Slovenia is one of those EU countries which tried to see the situation in the Middle East as it is, not as it is shown many times.
“We are realists. We know the real role of Israel here, the importance of Israel for world peace and peace in the region and whatever we can do to strengthen this position, we are prepared to do,” he added.
Netanyahu quoted the film Casablanca saying his first-ever meeting with Janša marks “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“You have always been a great champion of an Israeli-Slovenia alliance,” Netanyahu told Janša. “I believe in that too… I want to thank you for this commitment and this consistency.”
Slovenia made a sharp U-turn when it comes to Israel in recent years as one of the one former Soviet bloc country in the EU that consistently voted against Israel in the UN. Slovenia nearly recognized a Palestinian state in 2014, but in the end the parliament opted to just call on the government to do so.
Janša’s party, in the opposition at the time, was the only one to oppose supporting a Palestinian state.
Ljubljana took two pro-Israel actions in the last week. First, it changed its annual vote from abstention to opposition on a UN General Assembly resolution extending the tenure of the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat.
Second, it declared Hezbollah a “criminal and terrorist organization that represents a threat to peace and security.” The move comes contrary to EU policy banning only the “military wing” of Hezbollah, allowing its “political wing” to operate in Europe, though the terrorist group does not itself divide into separate wings. Nine countries have moved to fully ban Hezbollah in the past six months, including Estonia, Latvia and Guatemala.
Netanyahu thanked Janša for those moves.
Israel and Slovenia also signed an agreement to work together on innovation.
Janša said: “Israel, being one of the most innovative countries, top of the world list, is a great example for us… There is a large field of opportunities to be explored in the future.”
One of Slovenia’s priorities in the EU presidency is cybersecurity, he added, saying that “because Israel is very advanced in this area, we want to share the knowledge and cooperate closely.”


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