Israeli authorities requested that Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik leave a conference on anti-Semitism in Jerusalem after an international arrest warrant was issued against him, according to Israeli media reports. N1.

In a report by the Israel Hayom newspaper, which was also covered by media in Sarajevo, it was mentioned that Israeli officials explicitly told Dodik that he was unwelcome at the event, leading to his departure from the venue.

Dodik shared with the Jerusalem Post that he left the conference because he “felt like an intruder.”

“I came to Israel with the intent to speak out against anti-Semitism. Instead, I felt unwelcome – like a guest who was out of place,” he stated.

Previously, Israel Hayom had reported that a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina had issued an arrest warrant for Dodik due to separatist actions.

It was noted that Dodik received a one-year prison sentence and a six-year disqualification from holding the office of President of Republika Srpska.

“Dodik, a staunch pro-Russian advocate for secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has enacted a law that prohibits the functioning of the Bosnian state judiciary and police within the Serb-majority entity,” the Israeli newspaper highlighted, adding that the law was temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The article mentions that Dodik has frequently threatened to separate Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina and integrate it with neighboring Serbia, with Western nations “warning that this could reignite violent conflict in the region.”

The report regarding Israeli officials asking Dodik to leave the anti-Semitism conference was initially brought to light by Shirit Avitan Cohen, a journalist for Israel Hayom.

“A mini-drama unfolded at a conference against anti-Semitism in Jerusalem. Following the news of his arrest, Israeli officials made it clear to Dodik, present at the event, that he was not welcome, prompting him and his entourage to make a last-minute exit,” Avitan Cohen reported.

Dodik took part in a roundtable discussion at the conference earlier today, during which he mentioned that Banja Luka expressed support for Israel on October 7, 2023, coinciding with the Palestinian Hamas attacks in the south of the country, alongside pro-Palestinian protests that took place in Sarajevo at that time.

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