Israel’s Entry into the Discussion on the Electoral Law in BiH is a Politically Designed Act

The unequivocal and direct support of the State of Israel for Croats in BiH to preserve the constitutiveness of the peoples, as well as support for their proposal to change the electoral law, was provided unexpectedly and triggered many nervous reactions from the Bosniak side. Since the State of Israel truly does not have a habit of flaunting declarative political support for anyone, anything, anytime, it is worth recalling that surprising tweet sent from Tirana by Israeli Ambassador Noah Gal Gendler, who non-resident covers BiH.

Thus, Israel, through its ambassador, conveyed this: that it firmly believes in the Constitution of BiH (Annex 4 of the Dayton Agreement) 'which established a sustainable system of power-sharing among the constituent peoples and their political representatives' and that this should be taken into account 'when seeking solutions for the electoral law, which must simultaneously ensure two key principles: equality and non-discrimination'. And third, they welcome 'the readiness and proposals of the Croatian side expressed in negotiations on amendments to the electoral law'. It cannot be clearer.

Political Pawns Jumped

The reactions did not take long to arrive. First, the political pawns of Bosniak leader Bakir Izetbegović jumped. Željko Komšić 'taught' the State of Israel that its understanding of legitimate representation in the system of consociational democracy is completely outdated and that it is supported in BiH only by members and followers of a joint criminal enterprise. Thus – Croats. The favorite diplomat of all Izetbegovićs Bisera Turković, in her capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, sent a condemning demarche to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The president of the Sarajevo Jewish community Jakob Finci, who is considered an extended arm of Bosniak political leaders, complained to the Israeli daily Haaretz that by its stance on internal Bosnian-Herzegovinian matters, Israel 'does not help the Jewish community, but one political party in the country'.

He is, of course, referring to the HDZ. Emir Hajdarević, on behalf of the Association of Bosniak Camp Inmates from Mostar, wrote to Ambassador Gendler that the systemic follower of the Croatian joint criminal enterprise, Dragan Čović, manipulated the State of Israel into supporting amendments to laws that are discriminatory even towards the minority Jewish community in BiH. In response, he received only a brief but unequivocal reply from Ambassador Gendler: 'We are concerned about the fact that the rights of the Jewish community in the country have been abused to block fundamental internal processes in BiH. We will not allow such abuses.'

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From the above, it can be concluded that Israel’s entry into the discussion on the Electoral Law is a politically prepared and designed act. However, it is still not clear why it decided on this unusual move. Deeper reasons for the current Israeli engagement in BiH can be inferred when you look at who among the 'greats' immediately condemned it. No, it was not Turkey under the neo-sultan R. T. Erdoğan, to whom Alija Izetbegović allegedly left BiH as a legacy. The Iranian Embassy in Sarajevo reacted with an angry tweet, stating: 'The apartheid Zionist regime is not qualified to comment on the political fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina.'

To which it received a brief tweet-response from Ilan Mor, the Israeli ambassador to Croatia: 'Is the murderous regime of mullahs in Tehran qualified to make any judgments about anything?'

Logical and Understandable Interest

Oversight of Iran’s increasing influence in Europe could be a sufficiently significant reason for Israel’s seemingly sudden entry into the political arena in BiH, especially considering the collaboration of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard with Bosniak structures, which dates back to the war in 1992 (the first hosts were precisely Bakir Izetbegović and the current member of the BiH Presidency, Šefik Džaferović). In the context of building a new security order, when Israel, through the Abraham Accords (sponsored by the USA), expands cooperation and economic and security influence in the Middle East and the Mediterranean with Muslim countries, its heightened interest in BiH is logical and understandable.

Especially after the CIA announced that it would direct the bulk of its resources towards China and Russia. It is logical that in this case, security oversight over radical Islamic movements, especially over Iranian influence, would be entrusted to Israel, for whom limiting that influence is also a matter of its own state survival. Establishing BiH on stable democratic foundations is a condition for limiting Iranian influence, not only in BiH but also in Europe. In this, the interests of Israel, Croats in BiH, and Croatia are complementary. And the possibilities for security and economic cooperation are almost unlimited.