Reactions continue to pour in following the cancellation of the Conference of European Rabbis in Sarajevo.
After the event’s cancellation, U.S. Senator Steve Daines stated that the decision by political Sarajevo was a clear act of antisemitism.
Messages from Serb officials were unequivocal: Bosnia and Herzegovina will never become an Islamist state as long as Republika Srpska exists.
Earlier, Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, requested that the European Union suspend accession talks with BiH, citing the refusal to host the rabbis. Minister Elmedin Konaković, however, described this request as misguided.
The Jewish Community of Sarajevo reported an unprecedented wave of incitement against Jews in BiH.
Since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, Sarajevo has openly supported the people of Gaza. At protests, alongside Palestinian flags, Hamas flags and those of the so-called RBiH have also appeared. Yet European rabbis were not welcome.
Their accommodation was cancelled at a hotel managed by Jasmina Izetbegović, daughter of the SDA party leader. Antisemitism was institutionalized when the federal Minister of Labor Adnan Delić demanded the event be banned. This sends a global message that BiH is an Islamic state.
“BiH has never been and will never be an Islamist state as long as we are here. We expect BiH to be recognized as a country of three constituent peoples and two entities. State-level antisemitism is the most dangerous stage. However, we must also address state-sponsored Serbophobia. Now, Israel is labeled a genocidal creation, just like Republika Srpska, Croats are seen as usurpers, and no one is welcome except Muslims,” said Dušan Pavlović, Director of the Center for Socio-Political Research of Republika Srpska.
A strong reaction also came from the United States over the antisemitic actions that led to the cancellation and relocation of the Conference of European Rabbis to Munich. Senator Steve Daines issued a firm statement to Sarajevo’s politicians, reminding them that Israel’s October 2023 military response came after attacks from Hamas, which is financed by Iran.
“It’s hard to believe this even needs to be explained, but calling Israel’s actions genocide when Hamas terrorists use Gaza residents as human shields is wrong—and it’s being used as an excuse to carry out antisemitic acts, such as what officials in Sarajevo did by canceling the Conference of European Rabbis,” said Steve Daines, chairman of a subcommittee within the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In a short span of time, Sarajevo’s political leadership delivered two major own goals: first, with Zukan Helez’s attempt to secure military deals with Iran—a known sponsor of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—drawing criticism from the U.S. administration; and second, by alienating the powerful Jewish lobby worldwide through the cancellation of the rabbis’ gathering. This is not the first time—events such as Israel Days and the concert marking Kristallnacht have also been canceled in the past.
Zoran Krešić, a journalist for Večernji list, remarked that while empathy for Palestinian suffering is understandable, it should not be expressed through hate.
Horrific online comments about Jews, gas, Auschwitz, and even “Chetnik Jews” beneath articles about the Conference of European Rabbis do little to help Sarajevo’s image as a city known for hospitality.
The historic Serb community has been expelled from that city, the number of Croats has dwindled, and numerous neighborhoods have been built for wealthy Arab newcomers.
Sarajevo can hardly claim the title of “European Jerusalem.” Elmedin Konaković insists that this is not an issue that should damage Sarajevo’s or Bosniaks’ credibility.
“The institutions of BiH neither organized nor canceled the conference. The smear campaign against Sarajevo is unfounded—this city is not like that, and this situation cannot be exploited in that way,” said Konaković.
The Jewish Community of Sarajevo denied that the event was planned in support of Israel’s policies, stating instead that the purpose was to discuss issues faced by Jewish communities across Europe. They announced plans to demand legal action against individuals and institutions that misled the public and endangered the lives of Jews and Jewish institutions in BiH.
Source: RTRS
