In a move bound to confuse cartographers and globetrotting geography geeks alike, Slovenia recognized the Palestinian state on Tuesday after a parliamentary vote. The 90-seat parliament saw 52 enthusiastic hands raised in favor of the recognition, with not a single detractor—because apparently, even the opposition was too bored to show up.

This parliamentary decision didn’t come out of nowhere; Slovenia is simply following in the footsteps of other EU nations like Spain, Ireland, and Norway. The Slovenian vote aligns with the trend that more than 140 out of 193 member states of the United Nations have already recognized Palestinian statehood. One can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from map manufacturers who can now standardize one more country's boundaries.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon didn’t just call it a "historic day for Slovenia,"—she practically shouted it from the rooftops (or at least the metaphorical ones in her statement). According to Fajon, recognizing Palestine is Slovenia's grand step toward a two-state solution. Because nothing says lasting peace quite like adding more lines to an already complicated map.

Meanwhile, in another neighborhood, albeit a terribly volatile one, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza following the October 7 attacks by Hamas. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, these attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 36,550 Palestinians and injuries to another 82,959. Even UN experts have stepped in, condemning the ongoing violence. Clearly, maps aren’t the only things that will be redrawn; political alliances are getting a makeover too.

Addressing parliament, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob reminisced about Slovenia's own nostalgic stroll down the lane of sovereignty back in 1991. Comparing Slovenia’s independence to Palestine’s current struggle might elicit a few rolled eyes, but hey, every underdog loves a good historical analogy.

However, not everyone is falling over themselves to recognize Palestine. The Slovenian Democratic Party, the main opposition troupe in this political theater, opposes the recognition and has even gone so far as to demand a referendum on the issue. Evidently, because why resolve things quickly when you can drag them out in the name of democracy?

Conclusively, Slovenia might be the newest European country to formalize Palestinian statehood recognition, but it undeniably won’t be the last. While their parliamentarians celebrate—or at least, the 52 who bothered to vote—a new era of Slovenia's foreign policy bravado, the rest of us will probably need a fresh batch of maps. Because nothing says "historic day" like turning geopolitical conflicts into navigational headaches.

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