Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 5
Israel to Open 1st Embassy in Slovenia as Janez Jansa Returns as Prime Minister
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 5

Israel to Open 1st Embassy in Slovenia as Janez Jansa Returns as Prime Minister

3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 5

Summary

  • Gideon Sa’ar said Israel has begun setting up its first embassy in Ljubljana, ordering work to start on the mission and the selection of an ambassador.
  • The move follows Janez Jansa’s May 22 re-election for a fourth term and has already been approved by both his government and Slovenia’s parliament.
  • Sa’ar cast the embassy as a reset after years of strained ties under Robert Golob, whose government recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and later sanctioned Israeli ministers, banned Benjamin Netanyahu and imposed an arms embargo.
  • Jansa, a longtime backer of Israel who opposed recognition of Palestine, said he was looking forward to a new era in bilateral relations.
  • The Slovenia plan extends Israel’s recent diplomatic push after Sa’ar attended the reopening of its embassy in Fiji this week, 30 years after that mission closed.

Insights

As Israel's standing in Europe falls, is this new Slovenian alliance a lone outlier or a strategic comeback?
Will Slovenia's dramatic pro-Israel pivot further fracture the European Union's divided stance on the Middle East?