Minister Sa’ar made the announcement immediately after the Parliament in Slovenia approved the establishment of the new government led by Janz Janša: “He is a definite friend of Israel and his election creates a unique opportunity to promote bilateral relations between the countries, which have been at a low ebb 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 exploit this opportunity.”
As you may recall, immediately after the refusal in Slovenia to allow the plane to land in the country, an Israeli source privy to the details said that “This issue should be resolved soon with the arrival of the new Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation, it will be a pro-Israeli government. Just last week, at least 15 Israelis who are involved in the tourism industry returned from Slovenia and came to the country to get to know it and market it to the Israeli tourist. They testified to a warm welcome and excellent treatment from the locals.”
At the same time, the Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure denied the news about the cancellation of the approval for Israir flights, and clarified that the request with the company is under consideration. According to them, the delay was due to a review of the security protocols, following government decisions from last year that prohibited the transfer of weapons and military equipment to and from Israel, as well as canceling a 2003 order that allowed armed Israeli security guards to stay in the terminal at the airport in Ljubljana (today they are only allowed to stay on the plane). These changes, along with the pressure to stop the flights, are led by pro-Palestinian organizations and left-wing parties in Slovenia against the background of the situation in Gaza.