Bosnian Serbs strengthen ties with Israel amid tensions

The Israeli Chamber of Commerce last week opened an office in Banja Luka, the seat of government of the Bosnia and Herzegovina entity of Republika Srpska, in a move officials said would “further strengthen” the two sides’ ties.

The opening comes when Israel faces growing international criticism due to its genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including by the Sarajevo-based Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other main political entity within Bosnia.

But in Republika Srpska, Israel has enjoyed strong support since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023. Milorad Dodik, the entity’s former president and effective leader, has frequently expressed pro-Israeli views positioning Republika Srpska as a key ally of Israel in the Balkans.

Following the outbreak of the Gaza war, Dodik said that Republika Srpska fully supports Israel’s right to self-defence, while the Palace of the Republic in Banja Luka was illuminated with the colours of the Israeli flag.

Dodik, who last year was stripped of his post and banned from holding political office for six years. That was after being convicted for refusing to comply with the decisions by the international envoy overseeing the peace deal that ended Bosnia’s 1990s war. He has opposed initiatives for the international recognition of Palestine. In August 2025, he said “a state that does not exist in reality cannot be lawfully recognised”.

Speaking at the opening ceremony in Banja Luka on Thursday, Dodik highlighted the political and historical ties between the Serb and Jewish people and what he described as their similar “suffering”.

“We have shown that we can, under impossible conditions and in an environment that is historically speaking hostile, preserve our identity and our holy word, which is freedom,” said Dodik.

Israel’s Ambassador in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Galit Peleg, said the office in Banja Luka is aimed at connecting businesses and to promote “investment cooperation“ between the two sides, without offering details.