Slovenia’s new prime minister takes down Palestinian flag in pro-Israel turn

Janez Jansa began his fourth term as Slovenia’s prime minister by ordering the Palestinian flag removed from the main government building in Ljubljana, where it had flown for two years.

The move, carried out almost immediately after he took office on Thursday, signalled a sharp pro-Israel turn under a leader closely aligned with US President Donald Trump and Israel.

In a post on X on Friday, Jansa said his government would pursue what he called a “responsible” foreign policy “based on facts”, language many read as a coded rejection of Slovenia’s recent anti-genocide stance and its commitment to international law.

Jansa has long defended Israel. He called his predecessor Robert Golob’s recognition of Palestine illegal, backed Israel’s right to attack Gaza and other countries in the region, and repeatedly declared: “We stand with Israel”.

He has also said Slovenia should move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move which would put him out of step with the international consensus and law that the city is occupied. 

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