The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina today sent a letter to the Ambassador of Israel, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the manner in which the visit of Milorad Dodik and Acting President of Republika Srpska Ana Trišić-Babić to Israel was organized.
In the letter, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, the Ministry first pointed to the absence of the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the use of symbols that do not represent the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was described as an act contrary to established diplomatic practice, protocol, and the principles of sovereign equality of states, as defined by the United Nations Charter and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The letter further expresses deep disappointment and serious concern over meetings between Israeli officials and individuals who identify as Chetniks — a paramilitary movement that, during the Second World War, sided with the perpetrators of the Holocaust and continues to promote the same ideology today.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasized that these events took place while the international community was marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, noting that Milorad Dodik is widely recognized as a genocide denier who has personally used media platforms to relativize the genocide committed in Srebrenica in 1995.
Particular attention in the letter is devoted to Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial center dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust.
“As the Chetniks intensified cooperation with the Germans, their attitude toward Jews in areas under their control deteriorated, and Jews were associated with the despised ideology of communism. There were numerous cases in which Chetniks killed Jews or handed them over to the Germans.”
Minister Konaković also recalled the fact that a Jew in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot run for a seat in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that constitutional amendments to change this were supported by all Bosniak political representatives, while Milorad Dodik and his political allies voted against them.
The letter further states that Milorad Dodik and Ana Trišić-Babić promote historical revisionism and the Chetnik ideology, which is described as incompatible with international law, justice, and the universal commitment to remembrance and accountability.
Granting visibility and legitimacy to such individuals at a time when the Holocaust and genocide are being commemorated is assessed as deeply troubling and contrary to the principles of “Never Again.”
In conclusion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina underscored the importance of conducting all future bilateral communication strictly on the basis of the constitutional order, sovereignty, and international legal status of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
