Thousands of Slovenians protest against opening of first Israeli embassy in Ljubljana

LJUBIJANA, Sept. 10 (YPA) – Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in front of the first Israeli embassy in Slovenia, in the capital Ljubljana, to protest its opening, which coincided with a visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. They demanded a halt to diplomatic and economic cooperation with Israel and the closure of the embassy.

The demonstration, organized under the slogan “No to the ‘Genocide’ Embassy,” included student and civil movements, as well as political and cultural figures.

The participants held banners condemning the war on Gaza, while sources estimate the number of participants to be between one thousand and several thousand.

The opening comes after the right-wing government of Janez Janša came to power and reversed the policies of the previous government of Robert Golov, which recognized the State of Palestine and imposed restrictions on settlement products and Israeli officials.

Sa’ar described the opening as a “historic” day and affirmed his government’s desire to strengthen relations with Slovenia. However, the move sparked widespread opposition within the country, and opposition parties joined parliamentary moves against Janša’s government, considering the shift inconsistent with Slovenia’s previous positions and international law.

This comes at a time when Israel is facing increasing Western pressure over its war on Gaza and settlement policies, with Britain, France, and Canada announcing measures against trade with the settlements.