Protests · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Rally in Ljubljana Against Israel’s First Embassy Opening in Slovenia
Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Ljubljana to oppose Israel's first resident embassy. Protests coincided with the embassy's opening ceremony, highlighting tensions over Slovenia's policy shift.
Whether it is framed as diplomacy or as anti-Israeli protest.
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Middle East Eye
“Pro-Palestinian protesters held an anti-Israeli demonstration against the opening of Israel's first Slovenian embassy”Read the original ↗
France 24
“Israel hails 'friendship' with Slovenia as embassy opens Ljubljana (AFP) – Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar thanked Slovenia for "standing with Israel when it matters"”Read the original ↗
Middle East Eye foregrounds anti-Israeli protest; Reuters and France 24 foreground diplomatic thaw and policy reversal.
Embassy Opens, Protests Follow
Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Ljubljana to oppose the opening of Israel’s first resident embassy in Slovenia, a move Al Jazeera described as a shift in Slovenia’s policy under Prime Minister Janez Jansa reversing measures imposed by the previous administration.
“Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, to oppose the opening of Israel’s first resident embassy”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar inaugurated the embassy in Ljubljana alongside Slovenian Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer, calling it “a clear expression of Israel’s commitment to our friendship and to its future.”
The opening came as Slovenia’s nationalist government moved quickly to rebuild ties with Israel, with Reuters saying Israel would open its first embassy in Slovenia on Wednesday after Janez Jansa formed a centre-right government this year.
Reuters also tied the diplomatic turnaround to pressure on Israel elsewhere in Europe over West Bank policies, including import bans by Britain, France and Canada on products from Israeli settlements.
Voices Clash in Ljubljana
The embassy opening drew opposition inside Slovenia, with Reuters reporting that the liberal Freedom Movement of former Prime Minister Robert Golob, joined by the Left party, submitted to parliament a proposal for impeachment of Jansa over a foreign policy they said was “exclusively in the interest of Israel.”
Reuters also said protests against the opening of the embassy were scheduled on Wednesday evening by student movements, a left-wing political opposition party and pro-Palestinian groups.
AFP coverage via France 24 described Saar thanking Slovenia for “standing with Israel when it matters” as the embassy opened in Ljubljana under Jansa’s diplomatic reset.F
France 24 reported that thousands gathered under heavy police presence to march through central Ljubljana, carrying banners that read “We stand together for peace and Palestine” and “Genocide is not self-defence.”F
Diplomatic Stakes Rise
The embassy opening was framed by Israeli officials as a step toward deeper cooperation, with Reuters quoting Tone Kajzer saying, “After a long period of less intensive political contacts, it is time to shift cooperation between Slovenia and Israel into a higher gear.”
““After a long period of less intensive political contacts, it is time to shift cooperation between Slovenia and Israel into a higher gear,””
Reuters reported that Saar and Kajzer signed a memorandum on cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, youth and sports during Saar’s two-day visit.
At the same time, Al Jazeera characterized the protests as opposition to the embassy opening itself, describing the gathering in Ljubljana as part of a broader dispute over Israel-Palestine policy under Jansa.
The same Reuters account linked the rapprochement to Israel’s “growing diplomatic isolation elsewhere” over West Bank policies, including import bans by Britain, France and Canada on products from Israeli settlements.