Slovenia Lifts 3 Israel Entry Bans and 2025 Trade Curbs

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jun 11

Janez Jansa’s new government scrapped Slovenia’s entry ban on Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, reversing measures imposed in 2025.
The same decision also ended a ban on imports from Jewish settlements and lifted restrictions on military exports and transit to and from Israel, with Ljubljana saying it wants to reopen political communication.
The Defense Ministry said arms trade is already covered by national law and EU export criteria, framing the rollback as a regulatory rather than punitive shift.
The move marks a sharp break from former Prime Minister Robert Golob, under whom Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and became one of Israel’s strongest critics in the EU.
Israel has already announced plans to open an embassy in Slovenia, underscoring how the policy reversal could quickly deepen bilateral ties in the 2 million-person country.