Croatian President Milanovic refuses to meet with Israel
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic declined to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who was on an official visit to Zagreb, citing the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
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- Published Date: 04:41 | 09 September 2025
In a statement on social media, Milanovic wrote: "Why was the Israeli minister invited to Croatia, and why did Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic meet with him?"
Emphasizing that such a visit was unacceptable while Israel continued its genocide against Gaza's population, Milanovic stated: "If I had met with someone from that government, it would have meant accepting Israel's violence, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes."
Milanovic added: "Instead of taking steps toward recognizing the State of Palestine, the Croatian government is supporting Israeli officials who stand behind war and violence. Comparing the attacks on Gaza with the war Croatia experienced in the 1990s is a huge mistake. Back then, Croatia was only defending itself. Israel, on the other hand, is brutally attacking Gaza and killing tens of thousands of people."
Israeli Minister Saar was met with protests in Zagreb ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Plenkovic.