By: Dr Vinko Gorenak
A war has been raging in Israel for more than two years, led by Israel against the Palestinian group Hamas. But just a few days ago, tensions also erupted between Israel and Iran, with the United States getting involved as well, naturally, on Israel’s side.
The average Slovenian citizen is, of course, informed about all this through the reporting of left-leaning media and has therefore surely formed a clear picture. According to these media outlets, we are, of course, dealing with a criminal and militarily aggressive Israel that attacks anyone who does not align with its interests. It is also, naturally, accused of committing genocide against Palestinians and war crimes against Iran.
The average Slovenian is also convinced of this by the coalition by which I mean the statements of the Prime Minister and head of the coalition Golob, as well as the actions and remarks of its member, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Urška Klakočar Zupančič. The President of the Republic, Nataša Pirc Musar, is no different, on this issue, she is entirely in line with the coalition.
Golob, in his public appearances, criticises Israel’s conduct. Klakočar Zupančič refused to meet with Israel’s ambassador to Slovenia, which is utterly unacceptable. Meanwhile, Pirc Musar went to the European Parliament and spoke of a supposed genocide being committed by Israel.
However, the statements and actions of our top officials regarding Israel are worth exactly nothing, or more precisely, they are worth about as much as last year’s snow. There are many reasons for this. Slovenia is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which should imply it plays an important global role. Unfortunately, with its actions and positions, it finds itself on the wrong side of history.
Let’s look at things more closely, and, above all, more objectively. Within Israel, there are two Palestinian enclaves: the West Bank and Gaza. Gaza is governed by Hamas. The EU designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation years ago. In its legal statutes, Hamas explicitly states that its goal is the destruction of Israel. On October 7th, 2023, Hamas carried out a massacre in Israel: it launched 4,300 rockets, killed 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages. Israel’s response was swift and continues to this day.
Something similar applies to Iran. Until the 1970s, Iran was a fairly normal country, one might say, Western-oriented, ruled by Shah Reza Pahlavi. But since 1980, the country has been controlled by Islamic religious leaders. That is why, before 1980, you could find pictures of Iranian women in miniskirts and similar Western attire. Today, the country is governed by strict Islamic law, which has led to mass executions of women who refuse to cover their faces according to religious rules, and, of course, mass executions of homosexuals. Women’s rights are virtually non-existent. And yet Slovenian leaders support this regime. Iran also refuses to recognise Israel’s right to exist and is actively developing a nuclear bomb. That is the key reason for Israel’s attack on Iran, and for the United States’ support of Israel.
If our political leaders, Golob, Klakočar Zupančič, and Pirc Musar, have decided to side with Hamas and Iran, that is their choice. But because they represent Slovenia, it is also our concern. Do you still remember how, in clear violation of parliamentary procedure, they hastily recognised Palestine as an independent state last year, claiming it would be a contribution to peace? Of course, nothing of the sort has happened.
Slovenia’s top politicians should ask themselves why the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries are on Israel’s side, and not on the side of the terrorist group Hamas or the Iranian regime.
And here is a well-meaning piece of advice for the folks in the coalition: maybe they should first ensure the safety of the mayor of Ribnica, who was beaten by members of the Roma community, before handing out lessons on peace and security to the world. As long as they show complete incompetence at home, they’d be better off keeping quiet on the world stage.