Croatian president refuses to meet with Israeli foreign minister in Zagreb over Gaza genocide

BELGRADE, Serbia

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on Tuesday refused to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who is on an official visit to Zagreb, citing Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza.

Milanovic said on social media that he did not understand why Saar had been invited and why Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic chose to meet him.

He stressed that such a visit is unacceptable while Israel’s “genocide against the people of Gaza” continued.

“If I had met with someone from that government, it would mean accepting Israel’s violence, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes,” Milanovic said.

He criticized Croatia’s government for supporting Israeli officials instead of taking steps to recognize the State of Palestine.

“Comparing Israel’s attacks on Gaza with Croatia’s war in the 1990s is a huge mistake. Croatia then defended itself. Israel is brutally attacking Gaza and killing tens of thousands of people,” he said.

Saar was met with protests in Zagreb ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Plenkovic.