Slovenia bans Netanyahu from entering EU country

Ljubljana: Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defence of international law.

The decision was linked to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court

against theIsraeli prime minister, Foreign Ministry

official Neva Grasic said, according to the official STA news agency.

The EU nation of some 2 million people, which recognised a Palestinian state last year, has been a vocal critic of Israeli actions in Gaza and Thursday’s move against Netanyahu was apparently designed to underscore the country’s policies.

“All countries that are bound by the international court, including Slovenia, must not recognize the situation resulting from

Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, and must not offer any support in maintaining this situation,” she added.