Milanović: Israeli minister insulted Croatian sacrifice by comparing it to his own war

The president’s office on Tuesday issued a statement saying that “The Israeli minister in Zagreb compared the Homeland War and the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which is offensive to all victims of the aggression on Croatia, and the real question is not why President Milanović did not receive him, but why the Prime Minister, the Head of Diplomacy and the Speaker of the Parliament hosted him.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is visiting Zagreb today and met with the Prime Minister, the Parliament Speaker and the Croatian Head of Diplomacy.

“How wrong it is to meet with a member of the Israeli government is also shown by his statement today in which he compares the Croatian Homeland War and the Israeli aggression on Gaza! This is offensive to Croatia and all victims of the aggression on Croatia because Croatia defended itself, unlike Israel, which is rampaging and killing tens of thousands of people in Gaza,” President Zoran Milanović's office announced.

When asked why President Milanović did not meet with the Israeli minister, the Office emphasized that the real question is why he was invited to Zagreb in the first place and why Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković met with him.

“At a time when the Israeli government and army are expelling the entire population of Gaza City and announcing an attack on that city of one million inhabitants, meeting with a member of that same government is actually supporting Israel's policy of violence, ethnic cleansing and war crimes,” the president’s office told the HINA news agency.

“Croatia should initiate the process of recognizing the Palestinian state as a first step in achieving a two-state solution and lasting peace in the Middle East, and not support Israeli government officials who unequivocally stand behind the policy of war and violence,” the statement emphasized.

The president’s office also objects to the fact that the entire center of Zagreb was blocked for hours today because of Sa'ar, which does not happen even when much more distinguished and important guests come to Croatia.

When asked by the HINA news agency at a press conference after a meeting with Gordan Grlić Radman about the statements of Croatian President Milanović, who called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and said that Israeli actions in Gaza constitute ethnic cleansing and that the government in Israel is criminal, Sa'ar replied that statements that serve Hamas propaganda are not relevant.

He said that Israel was also attacked by "some politicians in friendly countries."

“As for the President of Croatia, and some other politicians, it is regrettable ..., I am sorry that we are being attacked, at a time when radical Islam is attacking us from all the fronts that I mentioned. I reject the content and remind you that Croatia has also been accused in the past, but in the end we know what happened and we know that these were not fair accusations,” said Sa'ar.

Source: HRT