Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply condemned Croatian President Zoran Milanović’s recent statements regarding a call from Israel’s ambassador in Zagreb, Gary Koren, for Croatia to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.
Sa’ar described Milanović’s rhetoric as unacceptable, filled with hostility toward Israel, and reflecting an anti-Semitic stance. He emphasized that security checks should be conducted for personnel at the Iranian Embassy in Zagreb, as recommended by the ambassador.
“The offensive statements made by the Croatian president are unacceptable. His speech, filled with animosity toward Israel and Zionism, demonstrates an anti-Semitic attitude,” Sa’ar wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He reminded us that Croatia is part of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and has committed to combating anti-Semitism.
Sa’ar also shared excerpts from Milanović’s speech, highlighting in red the phrase “We do not want foreign infections or bacilli in Croatia, neither Iranian nor Israeli.”
During a recent press appearance, Milanović reacted strongly to calls from the Israeli ambassador, particularly regarding security checks on staff at the Iranian Embassy, suggesting that there could be members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard among them. Milanović commented: “This is brotherly Zagreb, not Tel Aviv.”
He further stated that Croatia and Israel do not maintain “any special relations,” and criticized what he described as exaggerated public concerns about Iranian activity in Europe. “Iran, like Israel in the Middle East, may engage in certain terrorist methods, but in Europe, Iran does not operate in a terrorist capacity,” Milanović said, referring to broader regional tensions.
