Slovenian government lifts bans on Israeli PM Netanyahu and ends arms embargo

The newly installed conservative government of Slovenia, headed by nationalist prime minister Janez Janša, reversed the pro‑Palestinian measures adopted by the previous centre‑left administration. On Thursday the cabinet revoked the entry ban that had prohibited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two right‑wing ministers from entering Slovenia, and it terminated the arms embargo that Ljubljana had imposed on Israel.

Janša’s government also scrapped restrictions on imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and welcomed the opening of an Israeli embassy in Ljubljana. Officials said the steps are intended to restore “smooth political dialogue” with Israel after the bans were introduced last week in coordination with other EU members in response to the Gaza conflict.