Slovenia scraps anti-Israel sanctions

Slovenia’s new government on Friday scrapped the previous administration’s sanctions against Israel, including on the import of arms, products from Judea and Samaria, and on visits by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This will re-establish the conditions for normal political dialogue with Israel. Through political dialogue and quiet diplomacy, it will be possible to strengthen the role of the Republic of Slovenia in efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East,” Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs wrote in a statement on the government website.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the move and commended Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Janša for the “just decision to lift the distorted anti-Israeli measures taken by Slovenia’s previous government,” Sa’ar wrote on X. “Janša “is a bold leader and a true friend of Israel. We will do great things together,” Sa’ar added.

Slovenia’s former prime minister, Robert Golob of the left-wing Freedom Movement, was among the most hostile leaders to Israel in the European Union. His government imposed a ban on importing goods made by Israelis from Judea and Samaria, said it would endorse South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice, and said it would comply with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

In the May 10 election, Janša’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) obtained the second-highest number of votes, trailing the Freedom Movement by a narrow margin. Janša became prime minister on June 4 thanks to a coalition of right-wing movements.

On June 4, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced it would open an embassy in Slovenia, where the representation of Israel is currently under the purview of the embassy in Vienna.

Last week, Janša, vowed to end the previous government’s “support for activist antisemitism,” referencing last week’s lowering of a Palestinian flag that the outgoing administration had flown.

“The time has come for a responsible Slovenian foreign policy based on facts, Slovenian national interests and international law,” Janša wrote on X.

Slovenia’s cabinet minister responsible for transportation, Jernej Vrtovec, last week vowed to ensure direct flights to and from Israel would be allowed to go through after an Israir flight from Israel was reportedly refused permission to land in Ljubljana.