Benjamin Netanyahu praises Janez Janša after Slovenia blocks EU settlement condemnation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly thanked Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša for his refusal to support a joint European Union statement condemning Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.

The proposed EU statement aimed to condemn Israel's plan to tender approximately 1,200 housing units in the controversial E1 area. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that such development threatens a two-state solution by potentially bisecting the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem. While the EU maintains that these settlements are illegal under international law, the statement failed to reach a consensus among all 27 member states because Slovenia did not provide its support.

In a post on X, Netanyahu praised Janša for his ‘courage and clarity’ and accused the EU of hypocrisy. He compared the situation to the EU's response to Turkey's occupation of northern Cyprus, suggesting the bloc remains silent on certain territorial disputes while criticizing Israel. The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a new joint declaration would not provide additional value at this time.