The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, has confirmed his arrival in Israel, where he is attending a two-day Conference on Antisemitism in Jerusalem. The event is also being attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I have begun my visit to Israel, a country whose strength, history, and determination I deeply respect,” Dodik wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He emphasized that Israel demonstrates that “freedom and security have no price, and a nation that knows its identity will not accept being a target or a subordinate.”
Dodik also drew parallels between Serbs and Jews, stating that both peoples had faced attempts at eradication but had survived. “That is why we understand each other. And that is why we stand together,” he added.
His visit comes amid controversy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where authorities are investigating how he managed to cross the border despite an active arrest warrant issued against him for allegedly undermining the country’s constitutional order.
Yesterday, Dodik traveled from Banja Luka to Belgrade, where he attended a commemoration of the NATO bombing of Serbia. Today, he continued his journey to Israel using the Republika Srpska government’s aircraft.
