Israel appoints first-ever resident ambassador to Slovenia

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Israel said on Sunday it has named its first-ever resident ambassador to Slovenia, signalling a diplomatic reset after Ljubljana’s change of government.

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Ties between Israel and Slovenia had soured under the previous centre-left government of prime minister Robert Golob, which had characterised Israel’s military offensive in Gaza as “genocide”.

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But ties have warmed significantly since conservative Prime Minister Janez Jansa took office.

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Israel’s foreign ministry announced that Ruth Cohen‑Dar — until now non-resident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta — will become the country’s first permanent envoy in Ljubljana.

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The move follows Israel’s decision last month to open an embassy in Slovenia.

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“The decision to establish the embassy was made after many years of a downturn in relations between Israel and Slovenia, and following the formation of a new government in Slovenia headed by Janez Jansa, a friend of Israel,” the ministry said.

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Slovenia’s new conservative-led government lifted an arms embargo on Israel, scrapped entry bans on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his ministers, and reversed a ban on imports from Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

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Jansa’s government has also removed a Palestinian flag symbolically displayed on the government building since Slovenia recognised Palestinian statehood in 2024.

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yif-jd/ris

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