Three Presidents of Bosnia-Herzegovinia Thank U.S. Jews at American Jewish Committee Luncheon

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 16 November 1999

The three presidents of Bosnia-Herzegovina today thanked the American Jewish community for its humanitarian and moral support during their country's war earlier this decade and for the continuing support as the nation moves to establish a durable multiethnic unitary state.

"We cannot forget La Benovalencia," the humanitarian aid agency established by the Sarejevo Jewish community with assistance from the Joint Distribution Committee during the war, said Croat President Ante Jalevic.

The three spoke at a luncheon at the headquarters of the American Jewish Committee, which jointly hosted the event with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, just a day after the Bosnian leaders reached agreement in New York on integrating their national institutions.

"All of us are looking to see if a multi-ethnic state in Bosnia-Herzegovina can succeed," said David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, who introduced the three presidents. "If you succeed it will give us all encouragement that disparate groups can live together in that region, but if not, there will be great despair."

The three presidents expressed full confidence that their efforts, with the support of the international community, would yield success.

"We are fully convinced that we are going to succeed in creating a multiethnic country," said Serb President Zivko Radisic.

But, in response to a question regarding the influence of Islamic fundamentalists who remained in the country after the war, there was sharp disagreement.

Muslim President Alija Izetbegovic displayed little concern, stating that nearly all of the Iranian-backed fighters had left the country after the war, and that 70 who remained had married Bosnian citizens. Croat President Jalevic, however, charged that "the foreigners who gained Bosnian citizenship after the war are a great security problem."

The three leaders announced that their government had recently welcomed to Sarajevo the new ambassador from Israel, and that in the near future Bosnia would be sending its ambassador to Israel.

Concern was expressed by one participant attending the luncheon about the fate of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, and President Izetbegovic gave assurances that the Haggadah is kept safely.

The leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina are now focusing on completing the implementation of the four-year old peace accord signed in Dayton, Ohio, which ended the conflict and established the joint presidency.

President Jelavic said that among their priorities is to settle about one million refugees and displaced persons, which are about 50 percent of the original refugee population.

But the three leaders agreed that to fully implement the Dayton Accord and establish peace would require the continuing presence of foreign troops, including American peacekeeping forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"We will need foreign troops for the next five years," said Muslim President Alija Izetbegovic.

The three were accompanied by Bosnian Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic and Bosnia's Ambassador to the UN, Muhamed Sacirbey, and Bosnia's Ambassador to the United States, Sven Alkalaj.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org