Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan held an official meeting in Ljubljana with Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tone Kajzer. The meeting was requested by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, following Janša’s earlier meeting with Dagan, and the two discussed the regional situation and the security, historical and national importance of Judea and Samaria for Israel and the Jewish people.
During the talks, Kajzer said, “Thank you for this visit. I am really happy to build on this platform to work together and create positive energy. Slovenia is on a path of dialogue, which is very important. We returned to this path where we open dialogue, to have honest and sincere exchanges, and see where we can contribute, that is our common goal.” Dagan thanked him for the warm reception and said, “We are here to work together.”
The meeting came after Dagan’s visit with Janša, who recently took office and quickly approved a series of major policy changes, including ending the boycott on goods from Judea and Samaria, lifting the arms embargo on Israel, and other steps to strengthen ties between the two countries. Dagan was invited to meet Janša just days after he became prime minister, in what was one of Janša’s first diplomatic meetings.
The article says Slovenia had been one of Israel’s harshest critics in Europe in recent years. The previous government recognized a Palestinian state, advanced measures against products from Judea and Samaria, and imposed various restrictions on ties with Israel. With Janša in office, the report says Slovenian foreign policy toward Israel and the settlements is showing a major shift. Janša told Dagan, “God bless the residents of Judea and Samaria. May the friendship between Israel and Slovenia last for many years.”
