Israel appoints first resident ambassador to Slovenia amid warming ties

Israel and Slovenia are strengthening diplomatic ties with the appointment of Israel's first resident ambassador to Ljubljana, Ruth Cohen-Dar. This move signifies a significant thaw in relations that had previously chilled under the former Slovenian center-left government.

Relations between the two nations deteriorated when the previous government, led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, characterized Israel's military operation in Gaza as "genocide." However, ties have warmed considerably since the current conservative government, headed by Prime Minister Janez Janša, took office.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Cohen-Dar's appointment, noting she previously served as a non-resident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta. Israel also decided to establish a permanent embassy in Slovenia last month, a decision attributed to the improved relationship and the presence of a "friend of Israel" in the Slovenian premiership.

Under Janša's leadership, the Slovenian government has rescinded an arms embargo against Israel, lifted entry bans for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his ministers, and ended a prohibition on importing goods from Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Additionally, the Palestinian flag, which had been symbolically flown from a government building since Slovenia recognized Palestine in 2024, has been removed.

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The decision to establish an embassy was made after years of decline in Israeli-Slovenian relations, and with the formation of the new government in Slovenia, led by a friend of Israel.