Slovenia’s New Prime Minister Removes Palestinian Flag, Signals Pro-Israel Shift

What happened

Middle East Eye reports that Slovenia’s new prime minister, Janez Jansa, ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from the main government building in Ljubljana shortly after taking office, ending its two-year display. This move follows Jansa’s vocal support for Israel and rejection of his predecessor’s condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure or battlefield claim should be read as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source. Jansa, aligned with former US President Donald Trump and known for his defense of Israel, described his government’s foreign policy as “responsible” and “based on facts,” a formulation widely interpreted as rejecting his predecessor Robert Golob’s position that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and recognized Palestine as a state. Golob’s government also banned weapons sales to Israel and sanctioned Israeli far-right ministers.

Israel welcomed the shift, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar indicating plans to open an embassy in Ljubljana "without delay." The move would reverse Golob’s position, which included a travel ban on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Known from the source

• Janez Jansa began his fourth term as Slovenia’s prime minister and ordered the removal of the Palestinian flag from the main government building in Ljubljana.
• The Palestinian flag had flown on the building for two years.
• Jansa supports Israel and criticized his predecessor’s recognition of Palestine as illegal.
• Former prime minister Robert Golob condemned Israel over Gaza violence and recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024.
• Golob’s government banned weapons trade with Israel and sanctioned two Israeli far-right ministers.

What remains unclear

The removal of the Palestinian flag marks more than a symbolic act to Golob, who described it as a sign of Slovenia abandoning values of justice, dignity, and humanitarian concern, accusing Jansa’s government of placing Slovenia on what he called a “shameful page of history.”

What remains unclear: Verify current official Slovenian foreign policy stances and any formal government statements reversing previous recognitions or sanctions. Confirm whether Slovenia has formally postponed or cancelled the embassy move recognizing Palestine or any other related diplomatic changes. Check for any official reaction from European Union bodies or other states regarding Slovenia’s policy shift. Confirm accuracy of casualty figures quoted (73,500 Palestinians killed since October 2023) with an internationally accepted source if possible.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Middle East Eye Gaza. Open the source.