Croatia–Israel Relations

Croatia–Israel relations span three decades of formal diplomatic engagement rooted in a historically complicated foundation. The two states have developed ties in trade, defense technology, tourism, and Holocaust commemoration. Israel opened its embassy in Zagreb in 2005.[5]

The American Jewish Committee identifies Croatia as an important Israeli partner within the EU and the broader Mediterranean basin.[1] Israeli officials have described the relationship as generally good while acknowledging that Croatia's geographic size and economic weight limit its ability to shape EU policy on Israel.[6] The relationship includes government-to-government engagement, defense-industry cooperation, and shared work on Holocaust education and remembrance. It is also marked by tensions arising from Croatia's wartime past, domestic antisemitism, and, since 2023, divergent positions taken by the Croatian presidency and government on Israel and Gaza.

The historical backdrop to Croatia–Israel relations is inseparable from the record of the Independent State of Croatia (1941–1945), a Nazi puppet state responsible for killing Jews, Serbs, Roma, and antifascist Croats.[5] The Jasenovac concentration camp, operated by the Ustaša regime, is the most notorious site of those crimes. This history created a particular burden for Croatian diplomacy with Israel and Jewish communities internationally after Croatia declared independence in 1991.

The administration of President Franjo Tuđman (1991–1999) complicated matters further. A 2013 account reported that his 1989 book downplayed the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, contained antisemitic passages, and glorified the Ustaše; Israel did not host him on an official visit.[6] A separate academic study said the Tuđman government sometimes showed nostalgia for the wartime state.[5] Scholars have debated the precise reasons for the delay in establishing diplomatic relations: one 2020 study argued that Serbian propaganda helped create a false perception of official antisemitism and that prominent Croatian Jews advocated for Croatia's recognition and participated at senior levels of government. The study concluded that it found no evidence of political antisemitism in Croatia during the 1990s.[7] Other accounts pointed more directly to Tuđman's record.[2]

Relations improved markedly after a pro-Western government came to power in early 2000.[6] A contemporary report said the election of Stjepan Mesić as president was expected to help thaw relations.[8]

Israel recognized Croatia as an independent state in 1992, more than five years before full diplomatic ties were established.[1][7] The delay reflected concerns attributed in some sources to the Tuđman government's approach to Croatia's Holocaust history.[2] On August 21, 1997, Croatia issued an apology for Ustaša crimes against Jews. The apology was described as part of the arrangement establishing ties, with Croatia stating that "New, free and democratic Croatia completely condemns Nazi crimes of the Holocaust and genocide over Jewish people in many European states, including Croatia."[9]

The Jewish Virtual Library records August 21, 1997 as the date diplomatic relations were established, although a separate diplomatic-missions table from the same source lists September 1997 and another table dates Croatia's recognition of Israel to September 4, 1997.[10][11][12] One academic study cited 1998 as the year ties were established and said they were considered potentially beneficial for trade, tourism, and Croatia's international rehabilitation.[13] The precise chronology has therefore been reported inconsistently, although most cited sources place the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1997.

Israel's embassy in Zagreb opened in 2005, making Croatia the second—and, alongside Serbia, the only—post-Yugoslav state to host an Israeli embassy.[5] When relations were established, Israel's representation in Zagreb was handled on a non-resident basis by its ambassador in Vienna.[11]

Diplomatic activity gathered pace after the turn of the millennium. Israeli President Moshe Katsav made a three-day official visit to Croatia in 2003, and Croatian President Stjepan Mesić visited Israel in January 2005 and Yad Vashem in March of that year.[14] A U.S. State Department report from 2005 said relations between the Croatian government and the Jewish community had steadily improved over the preceding years.[14]

By 2013, Israeli diplomatic officials were describing the relationship as good while cautioning that Croatia's size and economic circumstances meant it was unlikely to wield significant influence over EU policy on Israel.[6] Croatia's ambassador to Israel described cooperation in the economy, defense, and security, as well as joint work promoting tolerance and Holocaust study, including cooperation with Yad Vashem.[15] He cited Teva's purchase of a major Croatian pharmaceutical company as an example of Israeli investment.[15]

On the twentieth anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2017, Croatia's chargé d'affaires described the countries as friends and partners engaged in continuing bilateral and multilateral dialogue.[16] The preceding two years included visits to Israel by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović in July 2015, Foreign Minister Miro Kovač in May 2016, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in January 2017, and Defense Minister Damir Krstičević in March 2017. During the defense minister's visit, the countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on military cooperation.[16]

At a January 2018 meeting in Davos, Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Andrej Plenković agreed to advance a proposed sale of Israeli Air Force F-16s through a formal tender.[17] Later that year, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin made a state visit to Croatia, where he and Grabar-Kitarović discussed military cooperation and economic relations.[18] Grabar-Kitarović identified immigration, security, energy, industry, agriculture, and economics as areas for further cooperation and expressed regret for lives lost in the Holocaust. Rivlin said 115 Croatians were listed among the Righteous Among the Nations.[18]

Israeli Foreign Ministry official Mark Sofer described relations with Croatia as excellent and said there were regular ministerial visits.[19]

Bilateral trade remains modest in absolute terms. For 2020, Croatian goods exports to Israel were reported at $44.1 million, while Israeli goods exports to Croatia reached $30.2 million.[1] Trade has included reciprocal tourism and research-and-development projects in fields such as chemicals and optics.[17]

The countries have bilateral investment treaties or protection agreements, providing a legal framework for cross-border investment.[20][21] Tourism has been identified as a key Croatian interest in the relationship, with Croatia's broader tourism sector estimated to have generated $13 billion in 2023.[2] Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has invested in Croatia through its purchase of a major Croatian pharmaceutical company, an example cited by Croatia's ambassador to Israel.[15]

In 2018, Israel Aerospace Industries and Croatian robotics company DOK-ING signed an agreement to develop, manufacture, and market robotic systems for disaster areas. DOK-ING was to build the vehicle platform, while IAI developed communications, command-and-control systems, and autonomous-movement algorithms. The partners also planned sensors capable of detecting hazardous materials.[22] The agreement was signed during President Rivlin's state visit to Croatia.

Defense ties have been among the most active—and at times contentious—dimensions of the relationship. In 1999, Croatia's government selected Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries for a project estimated at $120 million to upgrade Croatian Air Force MiG-21 fighters. After a new government took office in 2000, a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granić notified Israeli officials that the project had been frozen. No agreement had been signed, and the incoming government said it did not consider itself bound by its predecessor's decision.[8] Budget difficulties were cited, and other defense projects estimated together at $300 million were also said to be at risk of delay.[8]

The most significant—and ultimately unsuccessful—initiative was the proposed sale of 12 used Israeli F-16 Barak fighters. Croatia selected the aircraft in 2018 in a deal estimated at approximately $500 million and contingent on U.S. approval to retransfer the American-made planes.[23] In December 2018, the Trump administration notified Congress that it would approve the transfer only if Israeli modifications, including upgraded electronic and radar systems, were removed.[23] High-level Israeli-U.S. negotiations did not resolve the dispute, and Croatia formally canceled the purchase in January 2019.[23][24] The cancellation affected Israel's 2018 defense-export figures because the aircraft were older models that Israel had planned to upgrade before sale.[25]

Despite the F-16 setback, defense cooperation continued. The March 2017 Memorandum of Understanding formalized joint work in this field.[16] In January 2026, Croatia was reported to have joined a NATO procurement to acquire Israel's Trophy active protection system for Leopard 2 tanks, at a reported price close to one million dollars per unit; the broader contract included training and long-term support.[26]

In February 2026, Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić made an official visit to Israel. Israel's Defense Ministry led a tour presenting unmanned systems, border-security technology, counter-drone capabilities, robotics, and intelligence systems, with 18 Israeli defense industries participating.[4] Anušić also met Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and expressed a wish to strengthen defense-industry cooperation.[27] The visit occurred despite President Milanović's public opposition to continued military cooperation and planned Israeli arms purchases, demonstrating that defense engagement was continuing at the government level.[4][27]

Holocaust remembrance has been a consistent thread in the relationship, reflecting Israel's emphasis on memory and Croatia's efforts to address its wartime record. The 1997 apology for Ustaša crimes was foundational. Later engagement included Croatian educators' participation in seminars at Yad Vashem, while a monument to Holocaust victims was reported to be planned for central Zagreb in 2017.[16]

Croatia adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's legally non-binding working definition of antisemitism in 2023.[26]

Tensions over Holocaust memory and antisemitism in Croatian public life have nevertheless surfaced repeatedly. In April 2016, Croatia's Jewish community announced that it would not attend the government's official Holocaust commemoration, protesting what it described as government inaction against growing neo-Nazi activity.[28] The Coordinating Committee of the Jewish Communities of Croatia held a separate remembrance at Jasenovac. Jewish officials cited, among other incidents, pro-Nazi slogans chanted by Croatian fans at a Croatia–Israel soccer match the previous month.[28] President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović called for unity around "the fundamental values of the society" and commemoration of the "innocent Jasenovac victims."[28]

Property restitution has also remained a concern. In 2001, Moshe Zanbar, then chairman of Israel's Holocaust Survivors' Organizations Center, urged Israel to condition diplomatic ties on Croatian legislation providing full compensation for Jewish property and on measures accepting responsibility for wartime actions.[29] A 2017 academic study said the return of Jewish property in Croatia was proceeding very slowly.[5]

Croatia's voting record on Palestinian status has included repeated abstentions, alongside occasional votes aligned with Israel. In 2011, Croatia abstained in the UNESCO vote on Palestinian membership.[6] In November 2012, it was among 41 states that abstained on the UN General Assembly resolution granting Palestine non-member observer-state status; 138 states voted in favor and nine against.[30][30] Croatian officials were reported to be attentive to perceived EU consensus positions.[6]

In May 2024, Croatia again abstained—one of 25 abstentions—on a UN General Assembly resolution granting Palestine additional participation rights and privileges. The measure passed by 143 votes to nine and did not give Palestine a General Assembly vote or the ability to put forward candidates for UN organs.[31][2]

By contrast, Croatia voted against the October 27, 2023 UN General Assembly ceasefire resolution alongside Israel and the United States. The Croatian government later explained that it could not support a draft that did not name Hamas or acknowledge what it described as the deadliest day for Jews since the Second World War. The resolution passed 120–14.[32]

In June 2025, Croatia was among the EU countries reported to oppose suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement after an EU review identified indications that Israel's conduct in Gaza might place it in breach of Article 2 human-rights obligations. EU foreign ministers postponed a decision on measures.[33] A 2026 report said Croatia still opposed suspending the agreement and had not recognized a Palestinian state.[33]

In September 2025, Croatia's parliament rejected a motion requiring recognition of a Palestinian state within fifteen days, by 73 votes to 44 with four abstentions. It also rejected a proposal to suspend existing arms-export licenses to Israel and halt new licenses for transfers through Croatian territory, by 71 votes to 46 with three abstentions.[34] Parliament instead adopted a resolution calling for monitoring international peace efforts and determining when recognition might be appropriate.[35]

Beyond formal diplomacy and defense, the countries have established a record of practical cooperation. During severe wildfires in Israel in November 2016, Croatia sent firefighting equipment, and a Croatian firefighting squad arrived within a day of Israel's request.[1][16] Cooperation subsequently continued through joint exercises and exchanges of firefighting practices.[16]

Tourism has served as both a connector and an economic interest. Analysts have identified Israeli tourism as an important Croatian concern within a tourism economy estimated to have generated $13 billion in 2023.[2]

At an Israeli Presidential Conference in Jerusalem hosted by President Shimon Peres, EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana remarked that "Israel is closer to the European Union than any other country in the world outside Europe," citing cultural, historical, and trade ties and participation in EU programs. Croatian President Stipe Mesić was also attending. Solana quipped, "I don't see the president of Croatia here," before adding, "Don't tell him that."[36]

The Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023 and Israel's subsequent military operations in Gaza introduced a new source of friction, primarily through the positions of Croatian President Zoran Milanović. In October 2023, Milanović criticized the display of the Israeli flag on Croatia's Foreign Ministry building, calling it "an idiotic move" and arguing that Israel's right to self-defense did not extend to killing civilians.[37] Israel's Foreign Ministry thanked Croatia's prime minister for supportive statements and the Croatian Foreign Ministry for displaying the flag in solidarity, underscoring the divergence between the president and government.[37]

Milanović subsequently said he had ordered an end to cooperation between the Croatian and Israeli armed forces, cited what he characterized as violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, and urged the government to suspend planned Israeli arms purchases.[27] Defense cooperation nevertheless continued, and Anušić proceeded with his February 2026 visit to Israel.[4] Milanović also said Croatia should recognize a Palestinian state. Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman rejected that position, saying recognition was premature before the conflict ended and all hostages were released.[34]

A dispute over an ambassadorial appointment compounded the tensions. Israel approved Nisan Amdor's appointment as ambassador in Zagreb in November 2025 to replace Gary Koren. Milanović withheld presidential approval for seven months, with his office citing objections to the policies of the Israeli government and noting that Israel had announced Amdor's appointment before receiving Croatian consent.[3][38] Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called Milanović's rhetoric "unacceptable" and said it reflected "an anti-Semitic approach."[26] Israel's Foreign Ministry worked with Croatia's government and Foreign Ministry toward a resolution, while Amdor was expected to arrive as chargé d'affaires, a role not requiring presidential approval.[38]

Antisemitic incidents in Croatian public life have periodically affected the bilateral atmosphere. Croatia was docked a point by UEFA after fans painted a swastika on the pitch in Split in 2015.[39] In March 2016, Croatian fans chanted pro-Nazi slogans at a Croatia–Israel soccer match; the incident was among those cited when Croatia's Jewish community boycotted the government's official Holocaust commemoration the following month.[28]

In October 2026, before a Hajduk Split–Ajax match in Split, Hajduk supporters were reported to have chanted antisemitic and Nazi slogans, including "Trample the Jews," "Auschwitz," and "Rise, Adolf." A coffin bearing Ajax's name was reportedly carried in the procession and later kicked apart.[39] President Milanović called the incident "unacceptable and shameful" and urged action against those responsible, while Prime Minister Plenković said antisemitic messages were contrary to the values Croatia sought to uphold.[39] The Croatian Football Federation condemned the chants and the glorification of Nazism and the Ustaše. Israel's embassy in Zagreb said it was "deeply shocked" while thanking the Croatian government for its response.[39]

These incidents stand alongside official commemorative and educational efforts, illustrating an unresolved tension between institutional opposition to antisemitism and the persistence of far-right and neo-fascist expression in parts of Croatian society. The 2023 adoption of the IHRA working definition represents one institutional response.[26]

Several dimensions of the relationship remain historically or politically contested. Sources cite August 1997, September 1997, and 1998 for the establishment of diplomatic relations, with August 21, 1997 the most precise date given by multiple cited accounts.[9][10][11][13] Sources also differ over the causes of the delay: some emphasize Tuđman's record, while a 2020 study attributes part of the delay to Serbian propaganda and what it considers a false perception of official Croatian antisemitism.[2][7]

The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies attributes Israel's reluctance primarily to Tuđman's antisemitism and Holocaust revisionism.[2] The 2020 academic study reached a different conclusion, finding no evidence of political antisemitism in Croatia in the 1990s and highlighting the participation of prominent Croatian Jews in efforts to secure recognition and in senior government roles.[7]

Contemporary disagreement is also institutional. Milanović advocated recognition of a Palestinian state, while Croatia's parliament rejected a motion requiring recognition within fifteen days.[34] His opposition to the proposed Israeli ambassador produced a practical diplomatic impasse even as Croatia's government and Foreign Ministry continued working with Israel.[3][38]