Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, on Wednesday to protest the inauguration of Israel’s first embassy in the country, a move that marks a sharp diplomatic reversal under Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s nationalist administration.
The protest occurred as Jansa, who assumed office in July, accelerated a reset in ties with Jerusalem—a stark contrast to his predecessor, Robert Golob, whose government had characterized the Israeli military campaign in Gaza as a “genocide.”
Demonstrators marched past the hotel hosting the embassy’s inauguration, carrying banners that read “We stand together for peace and Palestine” and “Genocide is not self-defence.”
Urska Breznik, a 48-year-old art historian, criticized the Jansa administration, calling it a “collaboration” government. Another protester, Melina Sahernik, told AFP news agency that the policy shift “makes Slovenia look very bad.”
Public opposition appears widespread. A June poll by the daily newspaper Delo found that 56 percent of Slovenians opposed closer relations with Israel, while only 14 percent supported them. Andraz Zorko, a Slovenian political analyst, told The Associated Press that the government’s pivot does not reflect the views of the nation’s approximately 2 million residents.
“The majority of Slovenian public is either against Israel or in some kind of neutral position,” Zorko said.
In response to the embassy opening, the liberal Freedom Movement party, led by former Prime Minister Golob, joined forces with the Left party on Wednesday to submit an impeachment proposal against Jansa. The parties also sought the removal of Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer, accusing the government of crafting foreign policy exclusively to serve Israeli interests.
They characterized the embassy opening as a “return of the favour,” alleging that Israel provided support to Jansa during the March elections.
Under Golob’s leadership, Slovenia recognized a Palestinian state and imposed an arms embargo on Israel, alongside bans on imports from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and entry bans for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Upon taking power, Jansa ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from government buildings, where it had been displayed alongside the Slovenian, EU, and Ukrainian flags. His administration subsequently scrapped all measures targeting Israel.
At the inauguration, Foreign Minister Kajzer stated that the event should “mark the beginning of a period of greater dialogue, stronger cooperation and, above all, more tangible results for the benefit of our people,” according to a ministry post on X.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who traveled to Slovenia for the occasion, called it a “historic day.”
“This is a clear expression of Israel’s commitment to our friendship and to its future,” Saar said, thanking Jansa and the Slovenian government for their friendship toward Israel.
The embassy opening comes just one day after the United Kingdom banned trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. France and Canada also announced they would take similar action.
These moves are viewed as symbolic expressions of displeasure from some of Israel’s closest allies, highlighting the Israeli government’s growing isolation following the war in Gaza. In response to the UK decision, Israel announced it would close the UK consulate in Jerusalem.
The poll results speak for themselves. The government is completely out of touch with the majority of Slovenians who oppose this pivot.
This seems like a complete betrayal of previous values. Why are we suddenly ignoring the genocide allegations just for political favors?