Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic posted a picture of a yellow flag with the star of David on it flying from the Presidency building on Tuesday, prior to his trip to Israel to attend a conference on the Holocaust, however, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) member Dusan Teodorovic called him out for calling for the death of hundreds of Muslims during the Bosnian war.
“This badge was a symbol of the attempted destruction of the Jews by the Nazis. Now it is a symbol of honour,” Vucic Tweeted.
This badge was a symbol of the attempted destruction of the Jews by the Nazis. Now it is a symbol of honor. 75 years after. Never again. pic.twitter.com/uBy1BiK7DT
— Александар Вучић (@predsednikrs) January 21, 2020
The flag, flying next to the flag of Serbia, is the same colour as the armbands that Jews were forced to wear in Serbia under Nazi occupation in World War 2.
Positive reactions to the tweet came from a number of people including, among others, Israel’s Ambassador in Belgrade Alona Fisher Kamm, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Open Society official Alexander Soros.
Thank you President of #Serbia @predsednikrs for this moving gesture. We are looking forward to welcoming you here in Israel for the World Holocaust Forum. #UnitedinMemory75 https://t.co/KAkAkcy2UK
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) January 21, 2020
There were also some tweets recalling Vucic’s past statements during the wars in the former Yugoslavia such as the one from Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) member Dusan Teodorovic who is a staunch critic of the authorities.
Aleksandar Vučić: „This badge was a symbol of the attempted destruction of the Jews by the Nazis. Never again.”
It's hypocritical for you to pretend now. You are a chauvinist. You are the one who demanded that we kill one hundred Muslims for one killed Serb. pic.twitter.com/AzGTBCWgdB
— Dušan Teodorović (@duteodor1) January 21, 2020
On 20 July 1995, during the Bosnian War, Vucic said in National Assembly: “for every Serb killed, we will kill 100 Muslims.” His statement came only days after the Srebrenica genocide when more than 8000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were killed by the Army of Republika Srpska and paramilitary groups from Serbia.
