Sabor rejects recognition of Palestinian state

The Croatian Parliament on Thursday rejected two proposals on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict: one to recognize a Palestinian state and another to suspend arms exports to Israel. 

Instead, lawmakers approved a government-backed conclusion leaving the timing of any recognition up to the Government.

After a heated debate, the motions from the green-left Možemo! party were defeated—44 votes to 73 on recognizing Palestine and 46 to 71 on halting arms exports.

Možemo! MP Sandra Benčić said her party was the first in Croatia to condemn Hamas’s October 7 attacks but called Israel’s current actions in Gaza “genocide.”

“We will never be a party that watches genocide on live television and stays silent while passing meaningless conclusions,” Benčić said.

Ruling HDZ MP Andro Krstlović Opara dismissed the proposals as populist.

“Recognition of a state is a political act, not an act of noise or emotion,” he argued, urging adherence to “rational, democratic procedures.”

Most MP Marin Miletić also opposed recognition.

“Israel recognized Croatia in 1992. Palestine never did. We will never recognize an Islamist, terrorist organization like Hamas,” he said.

The adopted conclusion calls on the government to “assess the moment” for recognizing a Palestinian state within a two-state solution.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the push reflected political pressure over what he called Israel’s excessive response to the October 7 attacks. He reiterated Croatia’s support for a two-state solution, a cease-fire, and a negotiated peace.

“Everything else is just politicking,” Plenković said. “If the left truly cared about recognition, they had two governments in the last 20 years and could have done it, but they didn’t.”