# Israel–Slovenia relations

Israel–Slovenia relations are the bilateral relations of Israel and Slovenia.

## History

Israel and Slovenia established diplomatic relations on 28 April 1992.
In 1998, Israel and Slovenia signed an agreement on promotion and protection of investments which entered into force in 1999, and in 2007 Israel and Slovenia signed an agreement on avidness of double taxation which entered into force in the same year. In 2006 the President of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Drnovšek visited Israel, and In 2010 the President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres visited Slovenia. In 2020 Slovenia designated Hezbollah as terror organization. In 2021 in commemoration and honoring to Hannah Szenes Israeli paratroopers parachute into Slovenia. In 2024 the opposition leader and former prime minister of Slovenia Janez Janša visited Israel and promised to relocate the Slovenian embassy to Jerusalem if he is to become prime minister again.

## Diplomatic missions

Israel does not have an embassy in Slovenia, but the Israeli embassy in Vienna serves also Slovenia, and Slovenia has had an embassy in Tel Aviv since 1 August 1994.

## Trade

Trade between Israel and the Slovenia is influenced by the EU-Israel Free Trade Agreement of 1995.
Israel - Slovenia trade in millions USD-$ :
| | Israel imports  Slovenia exports | Slovenia imports  Israel exports | Total trade value |
| 2023 | 96.4 | 739.8 | 836.2 |
| 2022 | 119.7 | 578.7 | 698.4 |
| 2021 | 92.2 | 366.1 | 458.3 |
| 2020 | 68.5 | 326.5 | 395 |
| 2019 | 63.8 | 336.8 | 400.6 |
| 2018 | 74.2 | 417.1 | 491.3 |
| 2017 | 323 | 374 | 697 |
| 2016 | 695.1 | 251.7 | 946.8 |
| 2015 | 107.5 | 268 | 375.5 |
| 2014 | 157.3 | 153.5 | 310.8 |
| 2013 | 167.5 | 142.9 | 310.4 |
| 2012 | 127.9 | 149.8 | 277.7 |
| 2011 | 224.5 | 170 | 394.5 |
| 2010 | 196 | 150.9 | 346.9 |
| 2009 | 122.4 | 124.4 | 246.8 |
| 2008 | 65.4 | 125.2 | 190.6 |
| 2007 | 97.1 | 100.3 | 197.4 |
| 2006 | 38.7 | 48.9 | 87.6 |
| 2005 | 31.6 | 65.8 | 97.4 |
| 2004 | 27.6 | 24.3 | 51.9 |
| 2003 | 27.1 | 31.3 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 22 | 30.4 | 52.4 |

## Jewish community

The Jewish community of Slovenia is small with approximately 100 to 300 members which most of them live in Ljubljana. A Synagogue was opened in 2021.

## Anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism in Slovenia

In 2016, a Slovenian supermarket chain Mercator decided to boycott products from Israel after pressure from local BDS activists. Two days after the supermarket reversed the decision to boycott products from Israel after protest from Israeli Foreign Ministry.
In February 2023, Simon Wiesenthal Center sent a letter to the Slovenian president regarding antisemitism in the national public broadcasting company of Slovenia, Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTV Slovenija). In the letter the Simon Wiesenthal Center describes antisemitic behavior by journalist's Twitter account with twits like, “the vaccination campaign exposes the essence of Israel’s Apartheid regime,” and "the policy of Jewish supremacy in Israel means that the government restricted vaccines to its Arab citizens.” and journalist who claim the terror organization Hamas as “a liberation movement of freedom fighters.”
After the massacre of 7 October made by Hamas and other Palestinians, as around 1,200 murdered the Slovenian government and institutions became more anti towards Israel. Slovenia decided unilaterally to recognize the Palestinian state. A delegation of Israeli families of hostages visited Slovenia and meet with the Slovenian president Nataša Pirc Musar. The meeting between the delegation of the families and Nataša Pirc Musar was unpleasant and the delegation of the families left it with anger. Musar asked "How do you know he's alive? Have you talked to him?" to one of the families who their son was kidnaped and said beforehand that their son is alive and there is a need to rescue him.
The Slovenian public broadcaster RTV demanded to bar Israel from participating in the Eurovision 2025.
In January 2025 a medieval synagogue in Maribor was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, "Jews are the evil of the world".

## Slovenia Grove

Slovenia Grove (also known as the Bunker Grove) is a grove located in northern Israel.
The grove is named after three bunkers built by the British during World War II to store bombs and ammunition for the RAF base in Ramat David. The British also planted the grove, which was intended to camouflage the bunkers. The Jewish National Fund and the Honorary Consul of Slovenia in Haifa developed and donated the grove.