Thousands of people rallied in Ljubljana on Wednesday as Slovenia opened Israel’s first embassy in a European Union country, protesting Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s diplomatic reset with Israel.
The opening marked a reversal from former Prime Minister Robert Golob’s government, which had described Israel’s war on Gaza as a “genocide.” Jansa took office in July.
Protesters challenge the new relationship
Thousands marched past the hotel where the embassy inauguration was taking place. Demonstrators carried banners including “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, said the development made Slovenia “look very bad.”
Opposition parties submit impeachment proposal
The liberal Freedom Movement, led by Golob, and the Left party submitted a proposal to parliament to impeach Jansa. They said his foreign policy served Israel’s interests exclusively and also sought the removal of Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer.
The parties described the embassy opening as “a return of the favour” for Israel’s alleged support of Jansa during the March election. The factual material does not establish whether parliament will advance or approve the proposal.
Policy changes reverse measures taken under Golob
Under Golob, Slovenia recognised a Palestinian state, imposed an arms embargo on Israel, banned imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and barred the entry of senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jansa’s government later scrapped all measures against Israel, and Jansa removed the Palestinian flag from the Slovenian government building.
At the inauguration, Kajzer said the embassy should begin a period of greater dialogue and stronger cooperation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the opening a “historic day” and thanked Jansa and the Slovenian government for their friendship with Israel.
Poll shows opposition to closer ties
A poll conducted by the daily newspaper Delo in June found that 56 percent of Slovenians opposed closer ties with Israel, while 14 percent supported them. Political analyst Andraz Zorko told The Associated Press that the policy shift did not align with what he viewed as prevailing public opinion in the country of about 2 million people.
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