Israel’s government unanimously approved Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s proposal Sunday to appoint Ruth Cohen-Dar as Israel’s ambassador to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. Cohen-Dar will be Israel’s first-ever resident ambassador to Slovenia, following Sa’ar’s decision to open Israel’s first permanent embassy in the country. Until now, Israel operated in Slovenia through a non-resident ambassador only, with no permanent diplomatic presence.
The decision to establish the embassy comes after years of strained relations between Israel and Slovenia, and follows the formation of a new government in Slovenia led by Janez Janša, a staunch friend of Israel. Sa’ar announced his decision on the day the new government was formed, and the Foreign Ministry is now working to open the embassy as soon as possible. Before the government’s approval, the appointment was approved by the Ministerial Committee on Foreign Service Appointments, chaired by Sa’ar.
Cohen-Dar currently serves as Israel’s non-resident ambassador to Slovenia and Malta. She previously headed the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Combating Antisemitism and Preserving Holocaust Memory, and has served at Israeli embassies in Washington, Vienna, and Warsaw. Diplomatic relations between Israel and Slovenia were established in 1992, and Slovenia opened an embassy in Israel in 1994, but Israel has not maintained a permanent presence in Ljubljana until now.