Croatian President Zoran Milanović criticized proposed military cooperation with Israel, saying the Croatian armed forces will not collaborate with the Israeli military and raising concerns over the potential sharing of sensitive security information.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 26th anniversary of the Honor Guard Battalion in Zagreb, Milanović dismissed recent visits and proposals by Croatian officials to expand defense ties with Israel.
“In these circumstances, there is no cooperation with Israel regarding the Croatian Army,” Milanović said. “This is a brutal military policy responsible for some of the worst war crimes against weaker parties. Croatia will not collaborate with such an army. Everything we need is available elsewhere—Germany, France, the United States—members of NATO. Israel is not a reliable partner.”
Milanović criticized Serbia’s purchases of Israeli defense systems, warning that such deals risk giving Israel control over highly sensitive national security information for both Serbia and Croatia. “Do we want Israel to be the master of the most intimate information about the national security of Serbia and Croatia? Business-wise, it’s foolish,” he said.
He also questioned the moral justification for cooperation, describing it as “fetishized” by some Croatian politicians. Milanović called on the government to halt any agreements with Israel and said the Croatian Army would not participate in any such transactions.
On the visit of Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Anušić to Israel, Milanović said, “We have no one to answer to outside Croatia. Why should I atone for the sins of the pro-Hitler regime from 1941? That is not my responsibility. Israel is not the right address.”
The president also criticized the European Union, saying Croatia is “ignored in the system,” and dismissed speculation about him running in parliamentary elections with an independent list.
Milanović’s comments mark a public rebuke of ongoing efforts by some officials to pursue closer defense ties with Israel, signaling a split in Croatian political circles over the country’s defense and intelligence partnerships.