This is a formal rebuttal to the opinion piece titled “Washington letter on Bosnia sparks fears of expanding foreign influence in Europe,” published on April 18 in The Jerusalem Post, authored by Marc Zell and Dana Levinson.
The article presents Bosnia and Herzegovina through a distorted lens of religious confrontation, geopolitical fearmongering, and selective interpretation of history. Rather than offering balanced analysis, it recycles long-standing divisive narratives that have historically contributed to instability in the Western Balkans.
It is also important to note that both authors have been subject to public scrutiny and criticism regarding their perceived political advocacy and associations with lobbying efforts connected to the political leadership of Republika Srpska. These concerns have been raised in various analytical and media discussions, and they significantly affect the credibility and neutrality of the perspectives presented in the article.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a civilizational battleground
First, portraying Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state threatened by “Muslim dominance” fundamentally misrepresents its constitutional and political reality. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not governed by a single ethnic or religious group. It is a complex consociational state established under the Dayton Peace Agreement, with Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats recognized as constituent peoples. No group can dominate the system without triggering a constitutional crisis. Claims to the contrary disregard both legal structure and political fact.
Second, Milorad Dodik is not accurately portrayed as a neutral political actor defending democracy or minority rights. He has repeatedly challenged the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina, questioned the authority of state institutions, threatened secessionist policies, and rejected rulings of the Constitutional Court. He has also denied the internationally recognized genocide in Srebrenica.
These actions have been widely interpreted by international partners as undermining the Dayton framework and regional stability. Measures taken by Western governments have been based on conduct that undermines constitutional order, not on ethnic or religious affiliation.
Third, the invocation of Iran, neo-Ottomanism, or alleged Islamist takeover scenarios represents political sensationalism unsupported by credible evidence. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an EU candidate country whose citizens overwhelmingly support European integration, rule of law, and economic development.
Its institutional partnerships are primarily with Western democracies and international organizations, not extremist actors. Framing Bosnia as a geopolitical “fault line” serves narrative construction rather than factual analysis.
Fourth, attempts to depict Republika Srpska as a “last Christian outpost” are both misleading and dangerous. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a civilizational frontier between Christianity and Islam. It is a historically multiethnic European society where Muslims, Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Jews, and secular citizens have lived together for centuries. Reducing this reality to religious competition echoes the same divisive rhetoric that contributed to conflict in the 1990s.
Fifth, references to Jewish history, including the Sarajevo Haggadah, should serve as a reminder of coexistence, resilience, and shared cultural heritage rather than as a tool for political contrast or moral hierarchy. This legacy is one of protection and solidarity across communities, not division.
Bosnia and Herzegovina as a pluralistic European state
Importantly, the recent Capitol Hill Passover Seder event in Washington, attended by more than 200 distinguished guests, focused on Bosnia’s prized Sarajevo Haggadah and further underscored Bosnia and Herzegovina’s role as a symbol of intercultural dialogue and shared heritage rather than division. The event highlighted the country’s historical tradition of coexistence and mutual respect among religious communities.
Finally, sustainable stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be achieved through the empowerment of nationalist actors who weaken state institutions, but through strengthening democratic governance, rule of law, judicial independence, anti-corruption efforts, and equal protection of all citizens within a European framework.
Bosnia and Herzegovina deserves to be understood as a sovereign, pluralistic European state – not as an instrument in imported ideological narratives or geopolitical contestation.
The writer is the ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the US.