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Israel has inaugurated its first resident embassy in Slovenia, opening a diplomatic mission in the capital, Ljubljana, in a move that drew both official welcome from the Slovenian government and street protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar traveled to Slovenia for the opening and was received by his Slovenian counterpart, Tone Kajzer. At a joint news conference, Kajzer said the visit marked the first time in 16 years that an Israeli foreign minister had come to Slovenia, calling it a moment of both political and symbolic significance.
Kajzer said the two countries were bound by "traditional relations" and that the time had come to strengthen and elevate them. He said Slovenia wanted to establish an open, regular and politically substantive dialogue with Israel and to deepen cooperation in areas of shared interest.
According to Kajzer, the visit's focus was largely economic and technological, with potential for expanded ties in medicine, biomedicine, technology, artificial intelligence and tourism.
Saar, for his part, thanked Kajzer, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa and the government for their hospitality. He described the embassy's opening as a "historic day" and pointed to what he called major opportunities for closer cooperation in technology, cybersecurity, defense, artificial intelligence, water management, agriculture and medicine.
Saar went further, asserting that Israel "is the front-line fortress of Western civilization," and that Israel defends Europe and its security both directly and indirectly.
The Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People organized a demonstration outside the Slovenian Foreign Ministry building to protest what it described as genocide by Israel in Gaza. Protesters chanted slogans including "Stop the genocide" and "No to a genocidal embassy."
Demonstrators said they were demanding the closure of the Israeli embassy and consulate, the suspension of trade and economic cooperation with Israel, the imposition of sanctions, and Slovenia's withdrawal from NATO.
The movement also petitioned the Ljubljana city government to rename Dimiceva Street, where the embassy is located, as "Palestine Street" in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The proposal is expected to be taken up by the relevant municipal commission at its regular meeting in October.
The embassy's opening reflects a broader shift in Slovenia's posture toward Israel. The previous government under former Prime Minister Robert Golob had downgraded diplomatic and political relations with Israel, accusing it of carrying out genocide. That government had also imposed various measures against Israel, characterized Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza as genocide, and formally recognized a Palestinian state.
The current government under Jansa has since lifted the measures imposed on Israel and announced it would no longer condemn the country, a reversal that has fueled the domestic political backlash now playing out over the embassy's opening.
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