An ambassador in Ljubljana, but not in London: Israel’s foreign policy shifts away from longstanding allies

Israel Redirects Diplomatic Attention as European Pressure Builds

Healfromzero.com – Israel’s diplomatic calendar this month has offered a striking contrast: ribbon-cutting ceremonies in Jerusalem and Ljubljana, alongside an unusually forceful rebuke from Britain and a group of partner countries over settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently opened the embassy of Nauru in Jerusalem, celebrating the Pacific nation of roughly 12,000 people as a close international partner. Shortly afterward, he traveled to Slovenia to inaugurate Israel’s new embassy in Ljubljana. The visit included a sizable business delegation and praise for Slovenia’s center-right government, which Saar credited with supporting Israel inside the European Union.

Those events came as relations with several of Israel’s traditional Western European allies have become markedly more strained. The United Kingdom, joined by 11 other countries, announced sanctions and trade limits focused on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The coordinated action ranks among the sharpest diplomatic measures Israel has faced from Britain in recent years.

Settlement policy drives widening divide

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband connected the latest measures to Israel’s decision to proceed with the E1 settlement project. Critics of the project argue that it could divide the West Bank geographically and further undermine the prospect of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

The pressure did not emerge overnight. In September 2025, Britain, Canada, France and more than a dozen other Western governments recognized Palestinian statehood. Then, in June, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Norway, Australia and New Zealand unveiled coordinated sanctions aimed at people and organizations accused of funding or facilitating settler violence.

Several governments also adopted separate actions. France barred far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country. Italy launched an investigation involving National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over the treatment of detained activists, including Italians, after Israel intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The Netherlands declared both Ben Gvir and Smotrich persona non grata and approved a ban on imports of settlement products.

For Israel, the growing use of sanctions, travel restrictions and trade-related penalties raises a broader concern than any single dispute. These measures signal that objections once largely expressed through diplomatic statements are increasingly being translated into concrete policy steps.

London vacancy highlights a difficult relationship

Israel’s position in London has been weakened by the absence of an ambassador for nearly a year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intended nominee, his chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, has been unable to leave Israel because of a criminal investigation, leaving the post unfilled during a particularly sensitive period in bilateral relations.

Saar’s reaction to Britain’s sanctions was openly confrontational. He said Israel would shut the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, stop British training for Palestinian Authority security forces, and prohibit entry for 12 British officials and members of parliament.

“The British move is morally distorted and constitutes a blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and”

The statement, which was issued in response to the sanctions, reflected the Israeli government’s broader argument that outside governments are improperly intervening in matters it considers part of its sovereign decision-making.

Europe remains divided despite tougher rhetoric

Israel has nevertheless succeeded in preventing some proposed EU-wide measures from advancing. For years, Hungary under Viktor Orban helped block initiatives targeting Israel at the European level. Following a leadership change in Budapest, Slovenia has increasingly filled the role of Israel’s principal advocate within EU debates.

Efforts led by France and Sweden to establish an EU-wide prohibition on settlement trade have stalled. So have attempts to remove Israel from Horizon, the European Union’s major research program. The inability to secure agreement among all member states has limited the scope of collective European action, even as individual countries have moved forward on their own sanctions.

Dr. Rémi Daniel of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies said Germany and Italy remain particularly important because they have confined themselves to public statements rather than joining the sanctions. Their influence within the EU gives them the ability to obstruct broader plans.

“They are the most important EU member states because they have the power to block plans at the European level.”

Daniel nonetheless described the overall direction as troubling for Israel, saying that within the EU, “the swinging center is going more against Israel.”

Defense ties remain a counterweight

Political disputes have not ended Europe’s defense relationship with Israel. Last month, Israel reached a $3.5 billion air-defense agreement with Greece, one of the largest arms contracts in Israel’s history. Earlier in 2026, Israel Aerospace Industries concluded a $3.1 billion agreement with Germany to expand deliveries of Arrow missile interceptor systems.

These agreements illustrate the complexity of Israel’s standing in Europe. Governments may condemn settlement expansion, impose restrictions on settlement goods or target figures associated with settler violence, while still maintaining significant security and defense cooperation with Israel.

The openings in Nauru and Slovenia therefore carry symbolic weight beyond their immediate diplomatic purpose. As resistance grows among some longstanding partners, Israel’s right-wing government is placing greater emphasis on smaller states and governments it views as more politically aligned. The resulting foreign-policy shift does not replace Israel’s relationships with major European powers, but it reflects an effort to build support in new places as familiar alliances face deeper strain.