Slovenia's PM Janša Pledges Embassy Move to Jerusalem, Reverses Palestine Recognition

Slovenia's new right-wing government, led by Janez Janša, is signaling a dramatic shift in its foreign policy toward Israel. Janša, who returned to power in early June, has announced plans to relocate Slovenia's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would align the small EU nation with Israel's claim over the city as its capital. This decision sets Slovenia apart, as no other EU member state has moved its embassy to Jerusalem.

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It is time for responsible Slovenian policy based on national interests and international law.

Further diverging from its predecessor's policies, Janša's administration intends to revoke Slovenia's recent recognition of the state of Palestine. This move was foreshadowed by the removal of the Palestinian flag from the main government building in Ljubljana, where it had hung for two years alongside Slovenian and EU flags. Janša stated that Slovenia would now pursue a policy based on "national interests and international law," accusing the previous government of supporting "anti-Semitic activism."

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The previous government supported anti-Semitic activism.

The policy reversal extends to defense and international legal matters. Janša's government has lifted an embargo on Israeli arms, a measure previously imposed by the left-leaning administration of Robert Golob. The previous government had also joined South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Publicists like Ervin Hladnik Milharčič, a veteran Slovenian journalist, suggest that while the previous government's actions were not anti-Semitic, they reflected a condemnation of actions in Gaza and a rejection of the EU's stance on the conflict.

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This did not mean anti-Israeli policy. Slovenia is not an anti-Semitic country either. It simply expressed horror at genocide.