Balkans: Israel deepens ties with Bosnian Serb separatists through Banja Luka trade office

Israel is deepening ties with Bosnian Serb separatists as international isolation over its Gaza genocide pushes it to seek allies on the fringes of Europe Israeli Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania Galit Peleg (L), Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli (C) and Milorad Dodik attend the inauguration of the Israel Chamber of Commerce representative office in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, September 3, 2026. (Social media/X/Milorad Dodik) Published date: 5 September 2026 22:52 BST | Last update: 13 sec ago Israeli officials opened an Israeli Chamber of Commerce office on Thursday in Banja Luka, the seat of Republika Srpska. The nationalist leadership of the Serb-dominated entity has pursued an increasingly separatist agenda threatening Bosnia and Herzegovina’s unity while fostering closer relations with Israel. The opening of the Chamber of Commerce marks another step in Israel’s push for greater influence in the Balkans as it faces increasing international isolation. It also reflects Israel’s growing willingness to cultivate destabilising political movements and entities seeking greater autonomy or independence from internationally recognised states. The higly controversial Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli attended the ceremony. Chikli has supported the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Israel’s ambassador to Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Galit Peleg, also attended and received a medal from Republika Srpska President Sinisa Karan. Milorad Dodik, the former president of Republika Srpska and one of the driving forces behind its separatist project, joined them. In recent years, Dodik has played a central role in cultivating the entity’s relationship with Israel. Speaking at the ceremony, Chikli said the chamber “must become a permanent point of contact for Israeli companies seeking opportunities in Republika Srpska and the broader region”. "Mr /President/ Dodik, you and the entire leadership of Republika Srpska are true friends of Israel and the Jewish people. We now have the privilege of taking this relationship to a higher level and turning our friendship into action," Chikli said according to the news agency of Republika Srpska. 'Continuation of close ties with Israel' “It is not clear how much economic benefit this move brings,” Vuk Vuksanovic, a lecturer in foreign policy and grand strategy at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, told Middle East Eye. “Still, it does show a continuation of close ties between Israel and Republika Srpska, which have been ongoing for the past 15 years and have intensified over the past three years,” he added. Dodik has repeatedly pandered to Israeli audiences. He has described the Palestinian flag as a “terrorist flag” and backed the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. In an interview with Israel Hayom last year, Dodik said: “The hostile population of Gaza needs to go somewhere else. They showed their nature, we saw what they want to do to you, even though Israel's hand has always been extended for peace.” 'The Balkans is on the list as the European peninsula closest to the Middle East and North Africa and it is not bad for Israel to have some form of Balkan presence to counter Turkey' Vuk Vuksanovic, King’s College London In February, he told The Jerusalem Post that Republika Srpska was the “Israel of the Balkans”, drawing a political parallel between the Bosnian Serb entity’s separatist ambitions and Israel. Republika Srpska’s role in blocking Bosnia and Herzegovina from supporting Palestinian recognition at the United Nations in 2011 has also earned Dodik political credit in Israel. Dodik has sought closer ties with US President Donald Trump and his political circle since Trump’s first term. That effort is beginning to bear fruit, with a growing number of MAGA figures expressing interest in Republika Srpska. “Israel has emerged as one of the main backers of Republika Srpska in the international arena,” Vuksanovic said. “In the Trump era, this link is even more powerful, as Dodik perceives Israel as a gateway to the US, which is a bet that has partially succeeded, as the US and Israel have emerged as Dodik’s main international interlocutors, frequently overshadowing Moscow,” he added. According to Vuksanovic, Israel’s growing international isolation has pushed it to pursue “alternative diplomatic and security partnerships with countries and regions beyond its immediate strategic periphery in the Middle East”. Relations with political entities such as Republika Srpska have assumed greater importance for Israel during the genocide in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in the enclave. Israel’s political leaders are welcome in few places outside the US. “The Balkans is on the list as the European peninsula closest to the Middle East and North Africa and it is not bad for Israel to have some form of Balkan presence to counter Turkey, and to lesser extent Iran,” Vuksanovic said. “Moreover, Israel wants to ensure that it maintains influence in Eastern Europe, as it believes that here it has the best chance of preventing the EU from making any major diplomatic shifts on the Palestinian issue,’ he added. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.