Nabil Fahmy sends letters to Slovenian Foreign Minister and EU High Representative over Slovenia’s plans to withdraw recognition of Palestine and relocate Embassy to Occupied Jerusalem

The Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States stated that Secretary-General Mr. Nabil Fahmy sent two letters today, the first to Mr. Tone Kajzer, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, and the second to Ms. Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

The letters were sent against the backdrop of statements by the Slovenian Prime Minister concerning his government’s intention to withdraw Slovenia’s recognition of the State of Palestine and relocate its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem.

The Spokesperson stated that, in his letter to the Slovenian Minister, the Secretary-General called upon the Government of Slovenia to carefully reconsider this negative and unacceptable course of action.

He stressed that there is no basis in international law for the so-called “withdrawal of recognition” of a state recognised by more than three quarters of the international community, and that the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is a peremptory norm binding on all states, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, which placed all states under an obligation not to recognise Israel’s unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, or to render aid or assistance in maintaining that presence.

The Secretary-General stressed that relocating the Slovenian Embassy to Jerusalem would constitute a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 478 (1980), which declared Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem null and void and called upon states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

It would also be inconsistent with Resolutions 242, 338 and 2334 and with the common European position that Jerusalem is a final-status issue that can only be resolved through negotiations and is the future capital of both states.

The Spokesperson added that the Secretary-General’s letter to Ms. Kallas warned of the danger posed by the Slovenian precedent, as it could encourage other states to adopt a similar approach.

Allowing a Member State to treat recognition of the State of Palestine as a decision that may be reversed with changes of government would open the door to similar actions, undermining the credibility of European commitments to the two-state solution and the collective European position in support of Palestinian rights, a position that is highly valued by the Arab world.

The Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General stressed in his letter that the League looks to the European Union to take the right course of action, calling upon the EU institutions to reaffirm clearly and at the highest levels that Member States’ recognition of the State of Palestine is irreversible and that relocating embassies to Jerusalem is incompatible with the common European position and binding Security Council resolutions.

The Spokesperson concluded his statement by emphasising that these announced steps come at a time when the Palestinian people are enduring suffering beyond description, and that any measures that prejudge the status of Jerusalem or diminish the international standing of the State of Palestine will not serve peace, but will instead encourage the forces of occupation and the annexation project.

He reaffirmed the League of Arab States’ commitment to working towards a just, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, as well as the General Secretariat’s continued readiness to engage in dialogue with European partners on the basis of these principles and foundations.