Slovenia turns away Israeli passenger jet, forcing it to land in neighboring Croatia

Key Points:

• Slovenian authorities denied an Israir Airlines passenger plane permission to land in Ljubljana as a political protest against Israeli government policy, forcing the plane to divert to Croatia.
• Israir's director condemned the refusal as a violation of EU aviation agreements, stating the ban targets Israeli carriers due to opposition to Israel's government stance.
• Israel's Foreign Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority condemned Slovenia's decision as unacceptable and warned of consequences, with Transportation Minister Miri Regev emphasizing Israel will use all available tools to respond.
• The incident follows political shifts in Slovenia, where former nationalist premier Janez Jansa, a pro-Israel figure, recently returned to power, contrasting with the previous government that recognized Palestine and criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza.
• Slovenia has previously taken strong stances against Israel, including imposing a travel ban on Prime Minister Netanyahu and boycotting Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, highlighting deep political tensions between the two countries.