The Israeli government has appointed Ruth Cohen-Dar as Israel's ambassador to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Cohen-Dar will be Israel's first-ever resident ambassador to Slovenia, following Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's decision to open an Israeli embassy in the country for the first time.

Cohen-Dar is an Israeli diplomat and the Director of the Department for Combating Antisemitism and Holocaust Remembrance. She previously served as the non-resident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta. She has also held diplomatic posts in Washington, Vienna, and Warsaw.

Following the election of strongly pro-Israel Janez Jansa in May 2026, Sa'ar announced that Israel would be opening an embassy in Slovenia for the first time.

A new era in Slovenia-Israel relations

"Janez Jansa is a prominent friend of Israel, and his selection creates a unique opportunity to advance the bilateral relations between the countries, which have been at a low point in recent years due to the hostility of the previous government in Ljubljana," wrote Sa'ar on X. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under my leadership, will act without delay to capitalize on this opportunity."

Jansa responded to Sa'ar's post on X with his own, saying that he is "looking forward to a new era in Slovenia-Israel relations."

The election of Jansa marks a striking political shift after Slovenia's recent hostility towards the Jewish state.

Jansa has already announced plans to relocate the Slovenian embassy from Tel Aviv to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem.

He also promised to reverse the previous government's decision to recognize a Palestinian state, something he said is in violation of Slovenian law.

One of his first moves as Prime Minister was the revocation of a 2025 decision banning the export and transit of weapons and military equipment to Israel, as well as most arms imports from the country.

Under Jansa'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.