BiH FM on canceled Rabbi conference: They fell into a trap of political narratives, we won’t allow a witch hunt against Sarajevo

“I officially found out about the conference just before leaving for the GLOBSEC summit, when we received an email from Mr. Kozemjakin informing us that an important rabbinical conference would take place in five days and that we should do everything necessary to support it,” Konakovic said at the press conference.

He explained that the Foreign Ministry forwarded the message to relevant institutions due to the significant security requirements involved. “We were then informed that the conference was canceled — and that’s when political manipulation began, with various politicians in Bosnia exploiting the situation. I had unofficially heard the day before that the conference might take place,” he added.

Konakovic revealed that there had been pressure to hold the conference in Banja Luka or Mostar before Sarajevo was chosen as the venue. “The organizers had been working on the preparations for a long time, but not with Bosnian institutions. Then, an email surfaced from a source later disavowed by the Rabbinical Conference — yet many media outlets in Bosnia picked it up and ran with it, creating a media frenzy.”

He criticized some of the political responses, notably one from Sarajevo official Adnan Delic, who called for the event to be banned. “Such a reaction was completely inappropriate,” Konakovic said.

The turning point, he continued, came when Hotel Swiss sent a message to the organizers stating that due to a security assessment, it could not guarantee the safe hosting of the conference. “I urge you to investigate who gave the Swiss hotel such a dangerous piece of information — especially at the beginning of the tourist season,” said Konakovic. “The organizers then canceled the event without consulting any state institutions.”

Konakovic strongly rejected claims — reportedly even from a European Commission spokesperson — that Bosnia’s institutions approved and then withdrew consent for the conference. “If this is true, I demand an immediate and unequivocal apology to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our institutions did not give or revoke any permissions,” he said.

He then addressed what he called a “witch hunt against Sarajevo.”

“A campaign has been launched against Sarajevo and its history — a city that has protected its synagogue and saved the Sarajevo Haggadah. Now we’re being lectured by those whose predecessors committed crimes against Jews during World War II. We will not allow that,” Konakovic declared.

He called on conference leaders not to fall into political traps and said he would speak with both the Jewish and Palestinian communities. “Let’s not fall for provocations aimed at portraying Bosniaks as radicals.”

The only link to official institutions, he stressed, was the personal statement made by Adnan Delic.

Regarding Gaza, Konakovic emphasized that Bosnia has stood firm since the beginning. “We supported every UN resolution, including the most recent one. We had the courage to speak out on Gaza when others remained silent. When you stand by the memorial to Sarajevo’s murdered children, Gaza’s dead become even more visible.”

He underscored Bosnia’s readiness to engage in dialogue with all parties. “We’re not afraid of opposing views — we’re ready to discuss them with reason and facts.”

“Let me be clear,” Konakovic concluded, “Sarajevo is not a stage, not a pile of wood or plastic. It’s a city that has held firm views for decades. You can express your opinion here — but expect a response. I don’t doubt the organizers meant well, but they fell into a trap of political narratives, and even asked for Bosnia’s EU path to be halted. That’s a serious mistake. That’s why we will invite them to visit Sarajevo — in an institutional capacity.”

He welcomed the response from Grand Mufti Husein Kavazovic and called on religious leaders to take the lead. “We are offering them the infrastructure. It would be good for religious leaders to get involved and help resolve this in the right way.”