Slovenia Imposes Travel Ban on Israeli Prime Minister

Slovenia announced on Thursday that it has imposed a travel ban on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking the latest move in its series of measures against Israel amid the ongoing Gaza war and rising tensions in the West Bank.

The Slovenian government said the decision follows an earlier ban placed in July on two far-right Israeli ministers. Slovenia, a European Union member that officially recognised the State of Palestine last year, has also suspended arms exports to Israel and prohibited imports of goods produced in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories since August.

Netanyahu departed for the United States early Thursday to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. His official aircraft, Wing of Zion, reportedly avoided European airspace, taking a southern route across the Strait of Gibraltar before flying over the Atlantic. Israeli media described the change in flight path as an extraordinary security measure.

Slovenia’s move adds to growing diplomatic pressure within the EU as divisions deepen over the bloc’s stance on Israel’s military actions and its handling of the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank.