Full diplomatic relations between Croatia and Israel were established on April 9, 1997 following Croatia's independence from SFR Yugoslavia. Croatia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and honorary consulates in Ashdod, Caesarea, Jerusalem and Kfar Shmaryahu. Israel has an embassy in Zagreb.[1] Relations between the two countries are described as friendly and highly cooperative. In recent years, Croatia and Israel have intensified bilateral relations and defence and security cooperation. Croatia is one of the countries Israel occasionally turns to inside the EU to advocate on its behalf and it generally abstains or votes with Israel on key EU votes at the UN.[2] Israeli president Reuven Rivlin described Croatia in 2019 as "Israel's strong ally in the EU, the UN and other multilateral organizations."[3]
The Jewish community of Croatia dates back to at least the 3rd century, although little is known of the community until the 10th and 15th centuries. The community that had approximately 20,000 members until the beginning of World War II, many of whom have contributed to the development of the Croatian economy, science and culture throughout the states history, was almost completely destroyed during the Holocaust that took place on the territory of the Nazi-puppet state, the so-called Independent State of Croatia (NDH). Nevertheless, many Jews were given refuge during the war by the anti-Nazi resistance movement led by the marshal Josip Broz Tito, an ethnic Croat. 117 Croats were honoured with the title Righteous Among the Nations.[4][5] After the War, half of the survivors chose to settle in Israel while an estimated 2,500 continued to live in Croatia.
Some people of Croatian Jewish descent make one of the smaller Yugoslav Jewish communities in Israel.
Relations with SFR Yugoslavia
While Croatia was a member of the Yugoslav Federation (1943–1991) it established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1948 through the Federation. Until 1952, a total of 7,578 Jews emigrated from Yugoslavia to Israel in five emigration waves. At first, Yugoslavia was mostly neutral in the Arab–Israeli conflict but maintained ties with Israel. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Israel needed weaponry to defend itself. Czechoslovakia sold to Israel 50 Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX fighter aircraft but it had a problem with their transfer. Faced with harsh Soviet pressure, Czechoslovakia and Israel arranged a transfer through Yugoslavia's Nikšić Airport (in Montenegro) and Port of Rijeka (in Croatia) in the top secret Operation Velvetta. This successful campaign lasted between 24 September 1948 and 5 January 1949. According to Israeli historian and war veteran Meir Pa'il, without Yugoslavia's assistance, Israel would probably not have won the war. Considering that Yugoslavia, which was stretched between the NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War, was a leader of the third bloc called Non-Aligned Movement and that President Tito maintained close relations with Arab leaders, especially Gamal Abdel Naser, since most Arab countries were members of the Movement, Yugoslavia severed all diplomatic relations with Israel in 1967 after Israel attacked Egypt in the Six-Day War.[7][8][9] After Tito's death in May 1980 the separate Yugoslav republics slowly began to pursue their own foreign policies in relation to Israel, with Croatia choosing to pursue pro-Israeli policies.[10][11]
Relations during the Croatian War of Independence
After the breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s, conservative politician PresidentFranjo Tuđman rose to power in the newly Republic of Croatia on 8 October 1991. Israel has complained about the attitude that Tuđman presented in his book "The Wastelands of Historical Reality", more specifically in the chapter entitled "The history of the multiplication of war crimes and the creation of the Jasenovac and Bleiburg myth" in which he questioned the number of people killed in Jasenovac concentration camp considering that the number was from 30,000 to 40,000, unlike much higher figures presented by the Yugoslav authorities which emphasized a range between 350,000 and 800,000.[12] The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) presently estimates that the Ustaša regime murdered between 77,000 and 99,000 people in Jasenovac between 1941 and 1945, out of which 12,000 to 20,000 were Jews.[13] The Jasenovac Memorial Site quotes a similar figure of between 80,000 and 100,000 victims.[14] Tuđman was also writing about the cooperation of some Jewish inmates with Nazi supervisors in Jasenovac, which he based on the memoirs written by the Croatian Communist Ante Ciliga who spent a year as a prisoner in Jasenovac.
Despite these disagreements Israel recognized Croatia as an independent state on April 16, 1992, but still refused to further develop bilateral cooperation.[15]
Criticism of the Israeli policy toward Croatia
This Israeli policy has been heavily criticized by Igor Primoratz, a professor at the Department of Philosophy of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In his texts Israel and Genocide in Greece and Israel and the War in the Balkans he wrote: "Since the beginning of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, Israel’s political establishment has taken a pro-Serbian stand. Facts that Israel had an embassy in Belgrade since October 1991 and that Serbia was the first among Yugoslavia's successor states to open the embassy in Israel (though ambassador Budimir Košutić will never submit his credentials to the president of Israel due to the UN Security Council sanctions imposed on Belgrade) are just confirming that. Both Israeli public and the press itself as Yad Vashem refused to recognize crimes that Serbs committed in Croatia during the Croatian War of Independence",[16] crimes that Croatia considers as the first case of genocide in Europe since the Holocaust.
In September 1997, after several months of intense negotiations, Israel and Croatia published a joint statement on intention to establish diplomatic relations. Secret talks between the Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Eitan Bentsur, and the head of the office of the Croatian president Hrvoje Šarinić were held in Budapest. Full diplomatic relations among two countries were established on September 4, 1997, after Croatian government issued a statement apologizing for the crimes committed by Ustaše in the NDH while President Tuđman promised to publish a modified version of his book.[17][18] Croatia opened its embassy in Tel Aviv, while Israel was represented in Croatia through its embassy in Vienna until 2005.
President Tuđman sought to visit Israel but still has been rejected. The first senior Croatian official to visit Israel was Foreign Minister Mate Granić who made a state visit in May 1998 after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited him.[18][19] Although president Tuđman hoped to visit Israel in an official state visit he never got a chance to do so because of his sudden death in 1999.[20]
Croatian producer Branko Lustig said on March 4, 2015, in an interview for the Slovenian television that he first met President Tuđman on Zagreb premiere of the film Schindler's List in 1994. He said that Tuđman grabbed his hand at one point while they were watching the movie and that he looked up to him and saw him crying. He said that he thought to himself: "Someone who is crying over the fate of these [Jewish] people cannot be a bad man."[21]
Croatian historian Slavko Goldstein said in an interview for Jutarnji list that he asked for an audience with President Tuđman when he saw a film about Bruno Bušić that was pro-Ustasha intoned in the early 1990s. Goldstein said that Tuđman at one point during the meeting banged the table and shouted: "Slavko, as long as I'm here, the pro-Ustasha policy will not pass."[21]
After the death of President Tuđman Israel began with active bilateral cooperation with Croatia so in February 2000 it sent a delegation to the inauguration of new Croatian president Stjepan Mesić.[citation needed]
In January 2001, the two countries mutually abolished visas while in October of the same year, president Mesić visited Israel and apologized for the Ustaše crimes against the Jewish people committed during the WWII. He visited Israel for the second time in October 2009.[citation needed]
First Israeli president that visited Croatia was Moshe Katsav who did so in July 2003. In his speech to the Croatian Parliament he said: "Israel appreciates Croatian Partisans and other Croatian freedom fighters who fought against fascism in Croatia during the Second World War. These fighters serve to honor to the Croatian people and are an important national value for the young generation." During his visit President Katsav met with the speaker of the Croatian Parliament Zlatko Tomčić, Croatian prime minister Ivica Račan and representatives of the Croatian Jewish Community. He also visited Dubrovnik and Memorial center in Jasenovac.[22][23][24]
In March 2004, delegation of three Croatian ministers visited Israel; Foreign Minister Miomir Žužul, Minister of Science, Education and Sports Dragan Primorac and Minister of Agriculture Petar Čobanković.[25]
On 8 September 2005, Israel opened its embassy in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. The first ambassador of Israel who dwelt in Zagreb was Shmuel Meirom. Since 2019, the Israeli ambassador to Croatia is Vesela Mrđen Korać.
On 15 February 2012, Croatian president Ivo Josipović visited Israel and apologized for the Ustaše crimes against the Jewish people committed during the WWII.[26] He stated: "I stand before the Parliament of the State of Israel, and more importantly, I stand before the Croatian children, and without ambiguity, I apologize. Holocaust survivors and all the other victims I beg for your forgiveness."
On 22 July 2015, Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović visited Israel. She stated in Yad Vashem: "As president of Croatia, I express my deepest regret to all the victims of the Holocaust that were killed by the hands of the collaborationist Ustasha regime during World War II. I deeply sympathize with your pain and suffering. The Ustasha regime most definitely was not a reflection of the true desire of the Croatian people for an independent state. Unfortunately, they have manipulated that desire. Croats must face with and accept its past because of the future. The vast majority of the Croatian people, including my grandparents, were part of the anti-fascist resistance movement, one of the proportionately largest resistance movements in occupied Europe during the World War II. I am grateful to those who put us [Croats] on the right side of history. Croatia is based on anti-fascism and the Croatian War of Independence." Croatian director Branko Lustig visited Israel with the president Grabar-Kitarović and gave an Oscar he won for the film Schindler's List as a gift to the Yad Vashem.[27]
On 30 May 2016, Croatian foreign minister Miro Kovač visited Israel. In an interview for Jerusalem Post, Kovač condemned racism, anti-Semitism, and extremism and pointed out that Croatian constitution explicitly condemns fascism and guarantees protection for minorities and that there wasn't any public support for a BDS movement in Croatia. Kovač expressed Croatia's desire to upgrade cooperation with Israel in agriculture, water management, tourism, cyber and high technology, and praised excellent cooperation in areas of defense, security, and intelligence. When talking about compensation for properties seized from Jews by the Ustaše and the Communists, Kovač stated that Croatia supported the idea of creating a foundation which would be jointly managed by Croatia, the United States, and Israel, and which would work with Croatian Ministries of Public Administration and Justice to resolve the issue of property restitution. During his visit, Kovač met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, representatives of the Jewish Council and the World Jewish Congress and visited Yad Vashem.[28][29]
On 26 October 2016, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee passed a controversial resolution on Temple Mount which dismissed Israeli connections to the location. However, the resolution was passed with fewer than half the body's 21 members voting affirmative (10 for, 8 abstained, 2 against, 1 not present). At first, it was supposed to be passed unanimously, by consensus, because the UNESCO Secretary-General stated that if it was not passed unanimously, then it would not be implemented. Before the meeting opened, Palestinian Authority and Jordan wanted to present resolution text which would strengthen the Muslim claims to the Temple Mount, but after they were ensured that there was a consensus vote on the existing, softer version of the text, they submitted it, but when the meeting opened, Croatia and Tanzania called for a secret ballot which effectively blocked a unanimous by consensus vote. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked both Croatian and Tanzania for this move.
On 24 January 2017, Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković visited Israel, marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Croatia and Israel. During the visit, Prime Minister Plenković met with Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leader of the opposition Tzipi Livni. During their meeting, two prime ministers praised the significant progress of bilateral relations between two nations in the past years and signed a joint statement on the intention between the Croatian and Israeli governments on co-operation in the field of disaster prevention and emergency response.[31][32][33]
On 25 March 2017, Croatian and Israeli Defense Ministers, Damir Krstičević and Avigdor Lieberman, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Defense which is to be used as a platform and a basis for advancing defense co-operation and bilateral relations between two nations. The Memorandum envisages co-operation in the military-technical area, exchange of experience in the field of military education, various forms of education and training, cybernetic abilities, and in the field of equipment and modernization of the armed forces.[34][35][36]
On 25 January 2017, prime ministers' Plenković and Netanyahu held a meeting at Davos during their attendance at the World Economic Forum. Prime minister Plenković said that they primarily talked about the improvement of economic and political relations between their countries, especially "agriculture and Mediterranean cooperation." Croatia offered Israel shipbuilding services and cooperation in political multilateral forums and defense. Prime minister Netanyahu announced his visit to Croatia during 2018.[37]
In March 2018, Croatia agreed to purchase 12 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from Israel, but the agreement was cancelled in January 2019 because Israel failed to obtain the approval from the United States for the supply of the aircraft because the Trump administration saw Israel as an unfair competition in the tender, in which the US participated with Greece and Sweden.[38][39][40]
On 10 September 2019, Croatian deputy prime minister Davor Božinović and the Israeli Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Information Gilad Erdan signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of public security which is expected to increase cooperation between countries' security agencies, notably in the field of cybersecurity.[41]
Croatian-Israeli Society, founded on May 5, 1994, is a Croatian organization whose goal is "to promote friendly relations, cultural, scientific and any other cooperation between Croatia and Israel, and to cherish Jewish culture, traditions and heritage."[42] Society is regularly funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of Culture and the Office for Education, Culture and Sports of the City of Zagreb. It has a few hundred members.[43]
Economic cooperation between Croatia and Israel is good and increasing. In 2014, Croatia exported to Israel goods worth $33.3 million[44] and imported from it goods worth $22.4 million.[45] Israeli investors have invested hundreds of millions of dollars intro Croatia so far. Two main projects of Israeli investors are Project Teva-Pliva worth $200 million[46] and Project golf park in Dubrovnik.
In 2011, 35,000 Israeli tourists visited Croatia. However, it is believed that the number is much higher because many Israelis don't use their Israeli passports for traveling, but rather the ones of another state whose citizenship they also hold. Croats are common pilgrims in Israel.[47][48][49] In 2017, Croatia was visited by 56,952 Israelis who made 142,400 overnight stays.[50]
Croatian Israeli Business Club is a Croatian organization whose main goal is enhancement and promotion of business relations between Croatia and Israel.[51]
Germany–Israel relations are the diplomatic relationship between the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Israel. After the end of World War II and the Holocaust, relations gradually thawed as West Germany offered to pay reparations to Israel in 1952 and diplomatic relations were officially established in 1965. Nonetheless, a deep mistrust of the German people remained widespread in Israel and the Jewish diaspora communities worldwide for many years after. Relations between East Germany and Israel never materialised. Israel and Germany now maintain a "special relationship" based on shared beliefs, Western values, and a combination of historical perspectives. Among the most important factors in their relations is Nazi Germany's genocide of Jews in Europe during the Holocaust.
Israel–Italy relations are the foreign relations between the State of Israel and the Italian Republic. Italy recognized Israel on 8 February 1949, after the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948. Italy has an embassy in Tel Aviv, two consulate-generals in West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem, and 4 honorary consulates in Beersheba, Eilat, Haifa and Nazareth. The Italian ambassador in Israel since 2021 is Sergio Barbanti. Israel has an embassy in Rome and the current Israeli Ambassador is Dror Eydar. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Israel–United Kingdom relations, or Anglo-Israeli relations, are the diplomatic and commercial ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. The British embassy to Israel is located in Tel Aviv. The UK has an honorary consul in Eilat and a non-accredited consulate-general in Jerusalem, that represents the United Kingdom in that city and the Palestinian territories. Israel has three representative offices in the United Kingdom: an Embassy located in London and consulates in Cardiff and Glasgow. As of 2023 trade exceeded 6.1 billion British pounds. Israel and the UK engage together in scientific research, defence and the development of new technologies, with the UK seeking to tap into Israel's considerable high technology sector through local British initiatives. The UK since 2011 has sought to partner British companies with Israeli advanced technology companies. The UK Israeli cooperation has generated £1.2 billion as well as 16,000 British jobs of 250 such partnerships. The United Kingdom and Israel are currently negotiating renewing a free trade agreement.
Ireland–Israel relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Ireland and the State of Israel. Relations between the two countries has been complex and generally strained due to Ireland's relative pro-Palestinian stance in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Israel–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Israel and Ukraine. Both countries recognized each other on 11 May 1949 as the Ukrainian SSR and established de jure diplomatic relations on 26 December 1991 when Ukraine became independent. Israel has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Haifa. There are 30,000 Ukrainians settled in Israel, while Ukraine has one of Europe's largest Jewish communities. Ukraine was also the first state outside of Israel to have had both a Jewish president and prime minister simultaneously.
Israel–Vietnam relations refers to the bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam and Israel established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1993, followed by Israel opening its resident embassy in Hanoi in December 1993. The current Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel is Lý Đức Trung, who has been assigned since April 2022. Ambassador Lý Đức Trung operates out of the Vietnamese embassy in Tel Aviv. The current Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam is Yaron Mayer, who has been assigned since August 2022. Ambassador Mayer operates out of the Israeli embassy in Hanoi.
Israel and Spain have maintained diplomatic ties since 1986. Israel has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Tel Aviv, and an honorary consulate in Haifa. There is also a General Consulate in Jerusalem, which serves as a diplomatic mission to the city of Jerusalem, Gaza and the territories of the West Bank. In addition to both countries being member states of the United Nations, both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Belgium–Israel relations are the bilateral relations between Belgium and Israel. Belgium voted in favor of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947 and recognized the State of Israel on January 15, 1950. Belgium has an embassy in Tel Aviv, and Israel has an embassy in Brussels.
Relations between Israel and the Czech Republic, and its predecessor state Czechoslovakia, have varied widely over time.
Hungary–Israel relations are the foreign relations between Hungary and Israel. Hungary has an embassy in Tel Aviv and 4 honorary consulates. Israel has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Szeged.
Georgia–Israel relations are diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties between Georgia and Israel. Diplomatic relations were formally established on June 1, 1992, alongside establishing diplomatic relations with the US. Georgia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate in Jerusalem. Israel has an embassy in Tbilisi.
Israel–Latvia relations are foreign relations between Israel and Latvia. Israel recognized Latvia's independence in 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel opened embassy in Riga in October 1992, and Latvia opened embassy in Tel Aviv in 1995.
Israel–Lithuania relations are foreign relations between Israel and Lithuania. Israel recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Israel is represented in Lithuania through its embassy in Vilnius which was opened in 2015. Lithuania has an embassy in Tel Aviv.
Israel–Romania relations are foreign relations between Israel and Romania. The two nations established diplomatic relations on 11 June 1948. Israel has an embassy in Bucharest. Romania has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a general consulate in Haifa, and 2 honorary consulates. The two have signed treaties and agreements and both are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Bilateral foreign relations exist between Austria and Israel. The fact that Adolf Hitler and other perpetrators of The Holocaust came from Austria gives the relationship between the two countries a special relevance. At the same time, the founder of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, also lived in Austria-Hungary and many Israelis are descendants of Austrian Jews. After the founding of Israel, the Second Austrian Republic recognized the Jewish state of Israel shortly after its founding in 1949, before official diplomatic relations were established in 1956. In the 1970s, Bruno Kreisky sought a role as mediator in the Middle East conflict and called for a Palestinian state, which caused disputes with the Israelis. Relations were later strained by the Waldheim affair in the 1980s and the first FPÖ government participation in 2000. After that, the two countries became close allies and established friendly relations. In 2023, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced “we have entered into a strategic, extremely close relationship with Israel that can no longer be undone”. Within the EU, Austria is considered one of the most pro-Israeli countries.
Israel-Finland relations are diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties between Finland and Israel. Finland maintains an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel maintains an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Israel–Sweden relations refers to the bilateral relations between Israel and Sweden. Israel has an embassy in Stockholm while Sweden has an embassy in Tel Aviv, and honorary consulates in Eilat and Haifa. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were briefly damaged when Sweden became the first member of the European Union to recognize the State of Palestine in 2014. Previously, other members had recognized Palestine, but that was before they joined the EU.
Switzerland recognized Israel on January 25, 1949 and opened a consulate in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Bern. Since 1958, Switzerland has an embassy in Tel Aviv and an honorary consulate in Eilat.
Cyprus–Israel relations refer to the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel. Israel has an embassy in Nicosia, while Cyprus has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean, United Nations, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Israel–South Korea relations refers to the diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of Korea. South Korea has maintained relations with Israel since 1948, and in 1962 both states initiated official diplomatic relations. Israel and South Korea have expressed interest in strengthening the relationship in all areas, particularly defence, but also renewable energy, science and technology, and bilateral trade. Israel and South Korea signed a free trade agreement in 2021.
↑ Jacob Abadi, Israel and the Balkan States, op. cit. 299
↑ Vladimir Petrović, Jugoslavija stupa na Bliski Istok – Stvaranje jugoslovenske bliskoistočne politike 1946–1956 [Yugoslavia Steps Into the Middle East – The Emergence of Yugoslav Middle East Policy 1946–1956], Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd, 2007
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