Slovenian Jewish Leaders Seek Better Ties Under Janez Jansa's 4th Term

5 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · May 25

Janez Jansa’s return for a fourth term has prompted Slovenia’s Jewish leaders to voice cautious hope for better relations after they say the previous government turned the country sharply hostile toward Israel.
Robert Waltl said anti-Israel rhetoric intensified after Oct. 7 and often spilled into antisemitism, with boycott campaigns, online intimidation and street abuse now part of daily life for some Jews.
Since Nov. 16, 2023, Ljubljana’s Jewish Cultural Center has been under police protection after vandals scrawled graffiti equating swastikas with the Star of David on its entrance doors.
Only a few hundred Jews live in Slovenia, mostly in Ljubljana, and Waltl said the community rebuilt visible Jewish life over the past decade largely without meaningful state funding and with heavy financial strain.
A permanent exhibition on 700 years of Jewish presence in present-day Slovenia is due to open in September, as the community presses the new government for recognition, security and long-term support.

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