Brussels: The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Nabil Fahmy, has dispatched formal letters to Slovenia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tone Kajzer, and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. This action follows announcements by the Slovenian Prime Minister concerning the nation's plans to rescind its recognition of the State of Palestine and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city of Jerusalem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, in his communication with the Slovenian foreign minister, Fahmy urged a reconsideration of this contentious plan, emphasizing the absence of any international legal foundation for rescinding the recognition of a state acknowledged by a significant majority of the global community. Fahmy asserted that the Palestinian right to self-determination is a binding norm, as highlighted by an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice dated July 19, 2024. This opinion mandates that states should not legitimize the unlawful Israeli presence in occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and must refrain from facilitating its perpetuation.
Fahmy further highlighted that relocating Slovenia's embassy to Jerusalem would breach UN Security Council Resolution 478 of 1980, which invalidated Israeli attempts to change the character and status of Jerusalem and urged states to remove their diplomatic missions from the city. He noted this action would also conflict with other Security Council resolutions and the collective European stance that regards Jerusalem as a final-status issue to be settled through negotiations for the future capitals of two states.
In his correspondence with the EU High Representative, Fahmy cautioned about the potential ramifications of Slovenia's proposed actions, suggesting it might set a precedent encouraging other nations to follow suit. He warned that treating the recognition of the State of Palestine as a policy subject to governmental changes could undermine the European Union's credibility and its commitments to a two-state solution, which has garnered appreciation from Arab nations.
Fahmy called on the EU to affirm that member states' recognition of the State of Palestine is irreversible. He argued that embassy relocations to Jerusalem go against the EU's unified position and contravene binding Security Council resolutions. These proposed steps, he stressed, are occurring amid profound Palestinian suffering and would not contribute to peace but rather bolster occupation forces and annexation efforts.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed the League of Arab States' dedication to achieving a just and lasting peace grounded in the two-state solution and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. He expressed the General Secretariat's readiness to engage in dialogue with European partners on these foundational principles.