Even Dodik is aware he is unwelcome in Jerusalem: I came to talk about antisemitism, instead I feel like an intruder

(Patria) - When Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik sat down with me yesterday for an exclusive interview at The Jerusalem Post offices in Jerusalem, he did so at his own request.

His representatives contacted us before his arrival in Israel, seeking an opportunity to directly address Israelis and the wider Jewish world, writes Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, Patria reports.

His stated goal, Klein adds, was to raise awareness about rising antisemitism and highlight what he describes as the historical connection between the Serbian and Jewish peoples.

"But less than 24 hours later, the headlines were no longer about antisemitism. A court in Sarajevo issued an international arrest warrant for Dodik, accusing him of undermining Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional order and disrespecting the decisions of the Office of the High Representative (OHR), the international body overseeing the country's fragile peace.

The court also issued an arrest warrant for the Speaker of the Republika Srpska Parliament, Nenad Stevandić.

The timing raised suspicions. Dodik had already arrived in Israel when the court's decision was announced. He abruptly left an antisemitism conference in Jerusalem after only an hour.

He reportedly did so after Israeli officials made it clear to him that his presence was diplomatically problematic," Klein writes.

He then quoted the words of the fugitive from Bosnian justice: "I came to Israel to talk about antisemitism. Instead, I found myself unwelcome – a guest who feels like an intruder".

"For us to understand why this is important and why The Jerusalem Post agreed to this interview, it is crucial to look at the bigger picture.

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Tel Aviv source close to Netanyahu: Israeli officials asked fugitive Dodik to leave Jerusalem conference

(Patria) - Israeli officials clearly told fugitive Milorad Dodik that he was not welcome at the Antisemitism Conference in Jerusalem. The first-instance convicted president of RS led him to leave the venue of the event

Dodik is not an ordinary regional politician. As president of Republika Srpska – a majority-Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina – he has become a central and polarizing figure in Balkan politics.

Once considered a moderate reformer, Dodik has embraced a hardline nationalist and pro-Russian stance over the past decade," writes Zvika Klein, among others, in his article, Patria reports.