Slovenian Prime Minister Janša removes Palestinian flag as Israel plans embassy in Ljubljana

Less than an hour after being sworn in, new Slovenian prime minister Janez Janša ordered the Palestinian Liberation Organization flag taken down from the façade of the government building in Ljubljana. The flag, which had been displayed since 2024, was replaced only by the Slovenian, European Union and Ukrainian flags.

Janša said the move ends a "politically and economically harmful period of government support for activist antisemitism" and framed it as a return to a "responsible Slovenian foreign policy based on facts, national interests and international law."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will open its first resident embassy in Ljubljana, a step up from the previous non‑resident diplomatic coverage. Sa’ar described the development as a "new chapter" in Slovenia‑Israel relations and noted that talks with the newly appointed Slovenian foreign minister Tone Kajzer had already taken place to accelerate the embassy’s establishment.

Former Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob criticised the flag removal, calling it a symbolic gesture that came exactly two years after Slovenia’s recognition of a Palestinian state. The diplomatic shift marks a clear reversal of the previous government’s pro‑Palestinian stance and aligns Slovenia more closely with Israel and, by implication, with allies such as the United States.