Why is Bosnia sending troops to Gaza? |
Last week, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency approved the participation of Bosnian troops in the international stabilisation mission in Gaza. The decision was a rare instance of interethnic consensus, which has been ostensibly missing since the end of the Bosnian War in the 1990s.
The mission was authorised by a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted on November 17, based on United States President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to end the genocidal war in Gaza. The resolution allows for the deployment of international forces to oversee demilitarisation and the destruction of military infrastructure, and to help legitimise a transitional governance arrangement for the enclave.
It is clear that the plan favours Israel and is meant to assist it in further consolidating its occupation of Palestinian territory. The question is, why would a country that itself has experienced a genocide and has seen regular protests condemning the one in Gaza decide to participate in such a mission?
Few societies in Europe identify with Palestinian suffering as viscerally as the Bosnian society does. In a December 2023 survey, 61 percent of respondents said Bosnia should support Palestine. Among Bosniaks, the percentage of those who felt solidarity with the Palestinian cause was even higher; Croats and Serbs were split between backing Israel, Palestine and neutrality.
In Sarajevo, support for Gaza is more than evident. For the past two years, thousands have taken to the streets of the capital in regular protests condemning Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. International brands such as Zara and US fast-food chains like KFC, Burger King,........