The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) has reacted to a statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, assessing his remarks regarding the necessity to protect Christian minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a “coordinated propaganda pressure on Bosniaks.”
The SDA statement notes that the Israeli Minister’s stances are “in line with the false, Islamophobic narratives of Dodik’s regime and his lobbyists about Muslims endangering Christians.”
“Apart from directly intervening in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the statements of the Israeli minister are in line with the false, Islamophobic narratives of Dodik’s regime and his lobbyists about ‘Muslims who endanger Christians,’” the SDA stated.
The party emphasized that there are no “Christian minorities” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but rather constituent peoples as defined by the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They further claimed that Bosniaks throughout history have been the ones exposed to rights violations, genocide, and other war crimes.
A particularly sharp part of the statement refers to the Israeli authorities’ treatment of Palestinians.
“That solidarity is understandable to some extent, as the Zionist regime has committed similar crimes to those of the wartime leadership of Republika Srpska, and practices much harsher forms of apartheid in the areas where it rules over Palestinians—both Muslims and Christians,” the SDA said.
The statement also recalled the historical ties between Bosniaks and Jews, claiming that Muslims across the Islamic world, and particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, provided refuge to Jews during their expulsion from Spain, and that Bosniaks saved Jewish lives and their cultural heritage during the Holocaust.
The SDA’s reaction followed a meeting between Israeli Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović, after which Sa’ar stated that they had discussed, as he put it, the need to protect Christian minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
