ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAMJUNE 5, 2026 01:04Israel is planning to open an embassy in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, for the first time, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced in a post to Twitter/X on Thursday. Sa’ar added that he has already instructed Foreign Affairs Ministry Director-General Eden Bar Tal to begin the process of establishing the new embassy and the selection process for an ambassador.The move has already been approved by the newly reelected Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and the Slovenian parliament.“Janez Janša is a prominent friend of Israel,” Sa’ar explained in his post. “His selection creates a unique opportunity to advance the bilateral relations between the countries, which had reached a low point in recent years due to the hostility of the previous government in Ljubljana.”“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs under my leadership will act without delay to capitalize on this opportunity.”Janša was re-elected on May 22. This is his fourth time in the role, having previously served from 2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022. Janša leads the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party.Under Janša's predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries towards Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.Slovenia then imposed a travel ban on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also imposed an arms embargo on Israel and boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna due to Israel’s participation.Janša is a long-time supporter of Israel. He condemned Golob’s recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it “illegal.” He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, making statements such as “Israel has the unequivocal right to defend itself against Hamas’s attacks. We stand with Israel.”Sa'ar attends opening of Fiji's new Israel embassy after 30 yearsOn Tuesday, Sa'ar attended the opening of Israel's new embassy in Fiji's capital, Suva, 30 years after the previous one was closed.In a post on Twitter/X, Sa’ar said the talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties and thanked Fiji for its support of Israel in multilateral forums."Together with [Police] Minister Ioane Naivalurua, we signed agreements on national security cooperation and diplomatic training," Sa'ar wrote.Advertisement"Today’s historic step reflects our intent to deepen the Israel-Fiji friendship!"The embassy opening follows Fiji’s own decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem.Mathilda Heller contributed to this report.Follow us on Google