Croatian President Criticizes Display of Israeli Flag

In a recent statement, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic criticized the decision by Croatia’s Foreign Ministry to display an Israeli flag, calling it “ill-advised” and unfitting. While he acknowledged that he had initially sympathized with Israel following attacks by Hamas, Milanovic stated that his support waned quickly due to Israel’s retaliatory actions against civilians.

Milanovic explained to journalists that, although he denounced the violent acts perpetrated by Hamas, he did not believe that Israel’s right to self-defense justified taking retaliatory measures that led to civilian casualties. He pointed to the recent escalation in violence, where Hamas’ unexpected assault near Gaza resulted in the deaths of over 1,300 Israelis, according to latest reports. In response, Israel has waged a military campaign against the Palestinian organization, leading to significant Palestinian casualties. Official records from the Palestinian Health Ministry indicate that in the past week alone, approximately 1,900 Palestinians have been killed, including 614 children and 370 women, while nearly 7,700 were injured.

President Milanovic Challenges Croatian Flag Policy and EU Norms

President Milanovic, a member of the Social Democratic party, has had previous disagreements with the ruling Croatian nationalist HDZ party. Clarifying his stance against the display of the Israeli flag, Milanovic said that Croatia should only display other nations’ flags under very specific conditions. To emphasize this point, he mentioned that even the flags of NATO and the EU, organizations to which Croatia belongs, would be positioned slightly lower than the Croatian national flag in his office to signify its importance.

Milanovic, who has served as Croatia’s president since 2020, is known for his unconventional viewpoints that often put him at odds with both EU and NATO norms. Earlier this year, he took issue with the popular “Glory to Ukraine” slogan, likening it to phrases used by Croatia’s WWII allies, which were aligned with the Nazis. He felt that such slogans tarnish Croatia’s reputation. Additionally, he has challenged the EU’s handling of member states like Poland and Hungary, and expressed disapproval over Germany’s decision to send tanks to Ukraine, emphasizing that Croatia was not in conflict with Russia. He also accused the EU of treating Croatia condescendingly, likening it to a “lagging” child.