An Israir flight en route to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was forced to land on Wednesday in Zagreb, Croatia, after Slovenian authorities refused to grant the Israeli aircraft the required landing permit.
According to reports, authorities in Ljubljana have recently declined to allow Israeli airlines to land in the country, citing opposition to the policies of the Israeli government.
The move is viewed as a direct violation of international aviation agreements that apply between European Union member states. Following the incident, officials from Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority became involved in efforts to resolve the matter.
Despite diplomatic and professional attempts to secure approval for the flight to continue to its original destination, those efforts had not succeeded as of Wednesday.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev sharply criticized the decision.
“This is an unacceptable political decision that directly harms Israeli citizens," Regev said. “Those who seek to boycott Israel through aviation should understand that there will be consequences. Israel will not stand idly by and will use every tool at its disposal to protect its airlines and the freedom of movement of its citizens."
Slovenia’s outgoing government has been regarded as one of the most critical of Israel in Europe in recent years. The decision to block the landing was made during a complex governmental transition period in the country.
In contrast, the new government expected to take office in the near future is widely viewed as more friendly toward Israel.