The official statement came after Israeli media reported that Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has been refusing for seven months to approve the appointment of Israel’s ambassador to the country.
The Croatian president will not approve the proposed ambassador of the State of Israel “due to the policies of the current Israeli government,” the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia said on Monday.
The official statement came after Israeli media reported that Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has been refusing for seven months to approve the appointment of Israel’s ambassador to the country, Nisan Amdor, despite the Israeli government approving Amdor’s appointment back in November 2025.
Following established diplomatic practice, the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia has until now refrained from publicly commenting on the matter.
However, it said in a statement on Monday that the State of Israel “broke this unwritten rule by publishing the name of its proposed ambassador [Amdor] even though that individual had not yet received the approval of the president of the Republic of Croatia.”
Given the actions of the Israeli side, the Office of the President confirmed that the proposed ambassador of the State of Israel “has not received, and will not receive, the approval of President Zoran Milanovic due to the policies of the current Israeli government.”
Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic arrives to pose for a photo with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Netherlands’ Prime Minister Dick Schoof during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague, on June 25, 2025. (credit: NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP via Getty Images)
First time Croatian president has withheld approval
The office said that granting or withholding approval for proposed ambassadors is a sovereign right of the Republic of Croatia, and that the decision is made by the president of the Republic.
“Any public or political pressure, in this case from the Israeli side, will not change the president’s decision,” the office said.
This marks the first time in Croatian history that a Croatian president has withheld approval of an ambassador’s appointment.
Israel’s current ambassador to Croatia, Gary Koren, is concluding his term at the end of May and returning to Israel.
Accused of ‘unacceptable, hate-filled language’
Israel’s Foreign Ministry told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that it is working with the Croatian Foreign Ministry and the Croatian government to resolve the issue of the status of Israel’s next ambassador in Zagreb.
The Croatian president has been accused of making anti-Israel and antisemitic statements in the past.
In October 2025, Milanovic refused to meet with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar during Sa’ar’s official visit to Zagreb.
He said that Sa’ar’s visit was unacceptable while Israel’s “genocide against the people of Gaza” continued.
“If I had met with someone from that government, it would mean accepting Israel’s violence, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes,” Milanovic said.
Then, in March 2026, Sa’ar accused Milanovic of “unacceptable” and “hate-filled language” after the Croatian president said, “We don’t want other people’s infections and germs in Croatia, neither Israeli nor Iranian.”
Sa’ar wrote on X/Twitter: “The Croatian president’s offensive rhetoric is unacceptable. His hate-filled language about Israel and Zionism reflects an antisemitic approach.”
Aside from this, Croatia and Israel have relatively good relations. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman met with Sa’ar just 10 days ago in Berlin. Following the meeting, Sa’ar said, “Great meeting my friend Croatia’s FM Gordan Grlic-Radman during our visits to Berlin. I invited him to visit Israel soon.”
Additionally, Croatia opposed suspending the Association Agreement and did not recognize a Palestinian state.