HATE-MOTIVATED ATTACKS MUST BE STOPPED

MOSTAR, JULY 15 /SRNA/ – The Jewish Community of Mostar has announced that it has undertaken a series of urgent security and organizational measures to protect its property and ensure the safety of its members in Mostar following an escalation of hate-motivated attacks.

The Jewish Community of Mostar reminded that unknown individuals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Mostar during the night of July 2, destroyed the flagpole bearing the Israeli flag, and stole the flag. Just five days later, on July 7, stones were thrown at the home of an elderly member of the Jewish community, which they stated was an obvious attempt at intimidation that deeply disturbed everyone. “These incidents are not isolated cases. They come after a series of incidents that have been recurring for months around the land designated for the future synagogue in Mostar, as well as an incident in which the phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ was written in red paint at the entrance of the residential building where the president of the Jewish Community of Mostar lives with his family,” the statement said. The Jewish Community of Mostar emphasized that these events are not merely criminal acts, but attacks on the values of coexistence, human dignity, and social harmony. “We are currently planning a meeting with relevant institutions to discuss these serious incidents, agree on concrete measures to strengthen security, and ensure that hate crimes are addressed swiftly and decisively,” the Community stated. The statement stressed that the Jewish Community will report every such case and believes that the city of Mostar and all competent institutions will act in accordance with the law and their responsibility to protect all citizens equally. The President of the Jewish Community of Mostar, Amir Gross Kabiri, thanked the Croatian National Assembly /HNS/ of BiH for its clear and unequivocal condemnation of these antisemitic acts, as well as the Interreligious Council in BiH for its timely and principled call for a swift and decisive institutional response. Kabiri stated that such public expressions of solidarity play a key role in countering hatred and preserving the values of tolerance, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. “At the same time, we call on all political, civil, and religious representatives from all parts of Mostar and the entire BiH to publicly and clearly condemn such acts. Silence in the face of hatred only encourages the perpetrators,” the Jewish Community of Mostar said. The statement added that a united, socially inclusive response is necessary to preserve the multicultural fabric of Mostar and BiH.