‘Each country goes its own way’: How Balkan politics shape ties with Israel

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Balkan countries have taken widely different approaches to Israel during the Gaza war, with positions shaped more by domestic politics, defence ties and strategic calculations than by any regional consensus. The article says analysts see the region as lacking a shared foreign-policy line, and that sympathy for Palestinians exists in parts of the Balkans even as governments act very differently.

The clearest divisions are in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosniak representatives and many in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have voiced solidarity with Palestinians, while leaders in Republika Srpska have been openly more supportive of Israel. The report links these positions to local identity politics and historical memories of war. In Serbia, Al Jazeera says the relationship with Israel has been increasingly tied to arms exports and defence cooperation, including ammunition sales since October 2023 and an Israeli-linked drone assembly plant opened in September.

The article also highlights Kosovo and Albania, where ties with Israel are described as closely connected to Washington and security interests. Kosovo’s recognition of Israel under the 2020 Washington Agreement and its embassy in Jerusalem are presented as especially significant. Albania, meanwhile, has maintained warm relations and expanded cooperation on cybersecurity after reported cyberattacks.

Elsewhere, Croatia’s policy is described as split between the government and president, while Slovenia has seen reversals as conservative forces push back against earlier anti-Israel measures. Montenegro and North Macedonia are mentioned as taking a quieter, more pragmatic line. Overall, the piece argues that Balkan governments are responding to internal politics and outside alliances rather than a common regional position on the conflict.