Warming of relations: Israel opens embassy in Slovenia

Israel has opened an embassy in Ljubljana for the first time in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The embassy was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. Relations had cooled under former Prime Minister Robert Golob, who recognized a Palestinian state and refused to allow an Israir flight to land. After the election of right-wing Prime Minister Janez Janša, relations have warmed. Janša, a supporter of Israel, called the recognition of a Palestinian state support for terrorism and promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

Israel opened an embassy in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on Wednesday for the first time in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The embassy was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who is currently visiting Slovenia. Relations between the countries experienced a serious cooling under the rule of former Prime Minister Robert Golob, whose government recognized a Palestinian state earlier this year and refused to allow an Israir flight to land on its soil. However, after the election of Janez Janša as prime minister in May, a change occurred. Janša, a right-wing party leader, is a declared supporter of Israel, an admirer of Trump, and a friend of Netanyahu. He has previously called the recognition of a Palestinian state support for terrorism and promised to move Slovenia's embassy to Jerusalem. The article notes that Slovenia may become a new ally in the European Union, similar to Hungary, but its positions on sanctions and the arrest warrant for Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court remain unclear.