LJUBLJANA, Sept 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A chill has set in between much of Europe and Israel recently over its treatment of Palestinians, but the Alpine nation of Slovenia is bucking the trend.

Under nationalist Prime Minister Janez Jansa Slovenia is launching a diplomatic reset of its relationship with Israel, which will send its foreign minister to open its first embassy in Ljubljana on Wednesday.

It is an about-face from the policies of the previous centre-left government, which had been one of the EU's most critical voices on Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which it described as "genocide".

And it comes a day after the United Kingdom and other European countries provoked Israeli fury by banning imports from settlements in the occupied West Bank -- the latest move by European governments grappling with growing international condemnation of Israeli policies towards Palestinians.

But in Slovenia, Jansa -- who took office for the fourth time earlier this year, and who is often at loggerheads with the European Union -- has instead received Israeli accolades for defying the EU over the West Bank settlements.

"Thank you PM Jansa for your courage and clarity amidst EU hypocrisy," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X late last month, after Slovenia vetoed an EU statement condemning the settlements.

Under Jansa, Slovenia has also reversed its own ban on imports from the settlements, lifted its arms embargo on Israel and scrapped entry bans on Netanyahu and two of his ministers.

In his first official visit to the country, Israel's top diplomat Gideon Saar will inaugurate the embassy Wednesday, with his ministry describing Jansa as a "friend of Israel".

Jansa has said his government was "only normalising Slovenia's foreign policy and fixing the damage" caused by liberal ex-prime minister Robert Golob.

"To fulfil its priority of improving the well-being of Slovenians, the government will carry out pragmatic policies," Jansa said in another post earlier.

- 'Instrument' -

Not all Slovenians are on board, however.

A poll conducted by the daily newspaper Delo in June found that 56 percent of Slovenians opposed closer ties with Israel, while 14 percent supported them.

Several rights groups have announced protests against the embassy's inauguration, which has also drawn sharp criticism from the opposition.

Golob's party has described the new embassy as "a return of the favour" for Israel's alleged support of Jansa during the March election.

The last days of campaigning ahead of the March 22 vote were overshadowed by claims of foreign interference, with authorities probing whether Israeli company Black Cube was behind secretly recorded videos alleging graft in Golob's government.

Jansa -- who faced accusations his party was linked to the videos -- has admitted to having met a Black Cube official, but denied being behind the videos.

Daily Dnevnik's columnist Darijan Kosir in a weekend commentary said Jansa was serving "as the US-Israel's Trojan horse" in the EU, taking the place of Viktor Orban, Hungary's long-time premier who lost April elections.

Former president Danilo Turk told AFP that Slovenia has "become an instrument of Israeli policy".

"This is a very uncomfortable situation," said Turk, an International Law professor at Ljubljana University.