Thousands protest in Ljubljana as Slovenia opens Israel's first embassy

September 10, 2026 at 07:54 AM2 min

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Thousands rallied in Ljubljana on Wednesday against the opening of Israel's first embassy in Slovenia. The protest came as Prime Minister Janez Jansa pushed through a diplomatic reset with Israel, reversing his predecessor's pro-Palestinian policies. Opposition parties filed an impeachment motion against Jansa over the shift.

Key Facts

Thousands marched past the hotel in Ljubljana where the embassy inauguration was taking place, carrying banners reading 'We stand together for peace and Palestine' and 'Genocide is not self-defence'.
A June poll by Delo found 56 percent of Slovenians opposed closer ties with Israel, while 14 percent supported them.
The liberal Freedom Movement and the Left party submitted a proposal to parliament to impeach Prime Minister Janez Jansa and remove Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer.
Under former Prime Minister Robert Golob, Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state, imposed an arms embargo on Israel, and banned entry for top Israeli officials including Benjamin Netanyahu.
Upon taking office in July, Jansa removed the Palestinian flag from the government building and scrapped all measures against Israel.

The Protest

Thousands of people rallied in Ljubljana on Wednesday against the opening of Israel's first embassy in Slovenia. Protesters marched past the hotel where the embassy's inauguration was taking place, carrying banners reading 'We stand together for peace and Palestine' and 'Genocide is not self-defence'. Urska Breznik, a 48-year-old art historian, called the Jansa administration a 'collaboration' government. Another protester, Melina Sahernik, told AFP, 'This makes Slovenia look very bad.'

Diplomatic Shift

Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who took office in July, pushed through a diplomatic reset with Israel, reversing the policies of his predecessor Robert Golob. Under Golob, Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state, imposed an arms embargo on Israel, and banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Golob's government also banned the entry of top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Upon taking office, Jansa immediately removed the Palestinian flag from the Slovenian government building and scrapped all measures against Israel. At the embassy's inauguration, Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer said 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'.

Impeachment Bid

The liberal Freedom Movement, led by former Prime Minister Golob, joined the Left party on Wednesday to submit a proposal to parliament to impeach Jansa. The proposal primarily targets a foreign policy they said serves Israel's interests exclusively. The parties also sought to remove Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer, describing the embassy opening as 'a return of the favour' for Israel's alleged support of Jansa during the March election. A June poll by Delo found 56 percent of Slovenians opposed closer ties with Israel, while 14 percent supported them. Political analyst Andraz Zorko told AP that the government's policy shift does not align with prevailing public opinion in the nation of about 2 million people.