Slovenia Probes Israeli Firm's Alleged Election Interference

Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob announced an investigation on Tuesday into allegations that an Israeli private intelligence firm conducted a covert operation to influence the country's parliamentary election scheduled for March 22, just days away. The probe focuses on claims that Black Cube, known for employing former Israeli intelligence operatives, collaborated with opposition leader Janez Janša of the Slovenian Democratic Party to smear Golob's ruling Freedom Movement through secret recordings of government officials.

The controversy erupted from a report by the nongovernmental 8 March Institute and the Slovenian weekly Mladina, which alleged that Black Cube representatives, including CEO Dan Zorella and adviser Giora Eiland, a retired Israeli major general, met Janša for about two hours at SDS headquarters in Ljubljana on December 22. Flight records and anonymous sources indicated the group arrived via private jet, with similar visits occurring three times between November 2025 and February 2026. Slovenia's Intelligence and Security Agency confirmed the firm's arrival in December but could not verify the meeting. Black Cube did not respond to requests for comment,...