Slovenia’s newly inaugurated prime minister, Janez Jansa, ordered the immediate removal of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flag from the primary government headquarters in Ljubljana less than an hour after taking his oath of office for a fourth tenure, Bloomberg reported Friday. The flag had been displayed at the site for the past two years.
The executive action on Thursday marks a profound geopolitical realignment under Jansa, who maintains strong political alignments with both Israeli leadership and US President Donald Trump.
This pivot is in sharp contrast to the policies of Jansa's predecessor, Robert Golob, whose four-year administration frequently rebuked Israel.
Golob’s government vocally denounced Israel’s counterterrorism operations against Hamas in Gaza following the murderous October 7, 2023 attacks.
In 2024, Slovenia officially recognized a Palestinian state, after its parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move.
Last year, Slovenia imposed sanctions against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing the two ministers of promoting "genocidal statements" that incite extreme violence and severe human rights violations against Palestinian Arabs.
Jansa is widely anticipated to systematically nullify the previous government’s diplomatic policies, including the formal recognition of “Palestine", as his administration takes shape, according to Bloomberg.
Addressing the removal of the flag online, the incoming prime minister framed the decision as a return to pragmatic diplomacy.
"The time has come for a responsible Slovenian foreign policy based on facts, Slovenian national interests and international law," Jansa posted to social media.
"The politically and economically harmful period of government support for activist antisemitism, which was broadly encouraged by commissions from two billion US dollars of laundered Iranian money in the former state owned bank during the left-wing government, has ended," he added.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar declared that Israel will open an embassy in Ljubljana following Jansa’s swearing-in.
Sa’ar made the announcement shortly after the Slovenian parliament ratified Jansa’s ruling coalition.
To expedite the initiative, the Foreign Minister ordered Attorney Eden Bar-Tal, the Director General of the ministry, to accelerate all logistical and regulatory frameworks needed to set up the physical complex in Slovenia and to initiate the search for Israel's inaugural resident ambassador.
"Janez Jansa is a clear and steadfast friend of Israel," Sa’ar said in a statement. "His election creates a unique opportunity to advance bilateral relations between our countries, which have been at a low point in recent years due to the hostility of the previous government in Ljubljana. The Foreign Ministry under my leadership will act without delay to utilize this opportunity."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)