SDA leader Bakir Izetbegović sparked strong reactions with a social media post in which he claimed that “Israel, through the conflict in Gaza, has equated Zionism with Nazism.” In a letter addressed to Izetbegović, Israeli Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Galit Peleg rejected the comparison, stating that it “distorts history, spreads hatred, and destroys hope for peace.” She emphasized that Izetbegović’s statements are “historically and morally wrong,” and “deeply offensive to the memory of millions of victims of the Nazi regime,” adding that they are “dangerously misleading in the context of the current conflict.”
Izetbegović’s view on the Gaza conflict
Izetbegović began his commentary by referring to the centuries-long suffering of the Jewish people—from persecution to the Holocaust—only to then draw a parallel between Zionism, the national movement of the Jewish people for self-determination in their ancestral homeland, and Nazism, under which six million Jews were killed during World War II.
“A people who endured all of that, who base their faith and worldview on the Ten Commandments, should not have allowed their leaders to commit genocide in Gaza, to place Nazism and Zionism on the same level, to equate Nazi lies about the ‘Übermensch’ with Zionist lies about the ‘Chosen People’,” said Izetbegović.
Ambassador Peleg responds
Ambassador Peleg responded that comparing Zionism to Nazism is an insult to all Holocaust victims. She warned that such a comparison “twists history, spreads hatred, and destroys the hope for peace.”
“Accusing Jews of being like Nazis is one of the most horrific things anyone can say. It is deeply irresponsible. It insults the victims of the Holocaust. I don’t think my grandmother’s family ever attacked the Germans before they were taken to death camps in Auschwitz. That’s one thing. The very idea of comparing Zionism and Nazism is terrifying and dangerous,” Peleg stressed.
Historians weigh in
Historians emphasize that history is made up of long-term processes. As historian Lazar Škobo explains, these processes often have both positive and negative aspects. He notes that Zionism dates back to biblical times and initially had negative roots, but it was followed by two millennia of immense suffering endured by the Jewish people, culminating in the most brutal genocidal project in history.
“When it comes to Nazism, the matter is much simpler. It’s not even a historical process—it’s a byproduct of various imperialist ambitions, and undoubtedly the darkest stain on the history of humanity, both in Europe and worldwide. These two—Zionism and Nazism—must never, under any circumstances, be equated,” said Škobo.
Škobo also believes that Izetbegović, as an experienced politician, should know not to interfere in certain matters and should heed the old proverb: “Every word you hold back is worth gold.”
Source: RTRS
