Slovenia recognized the Palestinian Authority as an independent state on Tuesday through a parliamentary majority.
The government recognized Palestine as an independent and sovereign state last week, joining Spain, Ireland, and Norway in a coordinated effort to end the Gaza conflict with Israel.
The largest opposition party in Slovenia, the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), contended that the recognition of an independent Palestinian state was not the appropriate time and that the measure would merely reward the terrorist organization Hamas.
Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria are among the 27 EU members that are currently recognizing the existence of a Palestinian state. Malta is considering following suit soon.
