The Minister of Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez (SDP), accused the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska of deliberately creating an atmosphere of fear and warned that competent state agencies have not recorded any threats to facilities or to the Jewish community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska, which has no authority to interpret international security circumstances, appeared in public with dramatic announcements about the ‘prevention of possible terrorist attacks,’ particularly highlighting the Jewish Cultural Center in Banja Luka, without any concrete threat and without a single valid security indicator. The state agencies responsible for security assessments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only institutions authorized by law to conduct official security evaluations, have not recorded any threats to Jewish facilities or to the Jewish community in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Helez stated.
“These are cheap manipulations by the regime in the smaller entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is using the global crisis in the Middle East for internal political propaganda: to promote Islamophobia, dehumanize Bosniaks, and attempt to portray the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a fabricated security threat. Such policies are dangerous and directly undermine the country’s stability,” Helez stressed.
“His lies were recently exposed by media in Israel, when he made claims about an alleged ‘war of Muslims against Europe,’ denied and relativized genocide, and attempted to present a distorted image of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The public there could clearly see that they were dealing with an outright liar who deliberately manipulates facts for his own interests. The truth always finds its way,” Helez said.
He emphasized that, fortunately, European and world countries do not receive information about Bosnia and Herzegovina from Milorad Dodik, but from ambassadors of their respective countries, the UN, the European Union, NATO, OSCE, and other international organizations operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The Jewish community is a historically and deeply rooted part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jewish institutions and facilities were preserved even during the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which speaks volumes about the true character of this country and its people. Their security has never been, and must never be, a tool for political gain or propaganda. If the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska wishes to work in the interest of citizens, it should focus its energy on combating corruption and organized crime, prosecuting attacks on returnees in this entity, and carrying out professional work in accordance with the law. The police must not be a tool of regime spin or the creation of enemies,” Helez concluded.
On Monday, the Ministry of the Interior of Republika Srpska announced that it was strengthening security measures to prevent possible terrorist activities near the Jewish Center in Banja Luka. They stated that this was done due to the alleged spillover of the crisis caused by the wars in the Middle East, citing the alleged connection of individuals from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina with extremist groups and their involvement in terrorist attacks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world, Klix.ba writes.
