Following the terrorist attack on the Embassy of Israel:

Antisemitism threatens Serbia’s security, and the security of the Jewish community is an integral part of Serbia’s security.

Statement published on 2026-10-29.

We strongly condemn the terrorist attack on the Embassy of Israel in Belgrade, carried out on October 28, 2026. We wish the injured gendarmerie officer a speedy recovery. We extend our full support to our colleagues and friends at the Embassy, the diplomatic representatives of Israel, and all staff.

This is the second terrorist attack on the security detail of the Embassy of Israel in Belgrade, following the one on June 29, 2024. We believe it is necessary to speak clearly and openly about the antisemitic motivation indicated by the available information about both attacks, as the data suggest that the local Jewish community was a potential target of these attackers.

After the attack in June 2024, the Minister of the Interior stated that the terrorist had gone to the Belgrade synagogue and considered it as a possible first target of the attack. According to available sources, the underage attacker from October this year was arrested in May in Germany on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Munich, and in July he was deported to Serbia.

These data point to a clear antisemitic, and not merely anti-Israeli, motivation behind the choice of targets. It is evident that, in their fanatical hatred of Jews, the attackers were prepared to direct violence both at the local Jewish community and at Israel’s diplomatic mission, because to them there is no difference.

For this reason, we reject interpretations according to which such attacks do not pose a threat to Serbia and its citizens on the grounds that their target is Israel. Such interpretations overlook and distort the fact that the targets of these attacks are, in reality, all Jews. Members of the Jewish community are equal citizens of Serbia. The security of the Jewish community is an integral part of our country’s security.

As a civil society organization that is specifically engaged in combating antisemitism, we insist on naming this hatred precisely. Recognizing antisemitic motivation makes it possible to understand the choice of targets, assess the level of threat, and develop appropriate protection and prevention measures. Denial and downplaying of antisemitism leave society and institutions less prepared to respond to it.

It is important to emphasize that both attackers, although radicalized under the influence of Islamist extremism, came from predominantly Serbian environments—from Mladenovac and from the area around Šabac, respectively. This shows that we must seriously confront the problem of radicalization and antisemitism within our own society.

We expect the competent authorities to clearly recognize the antisemitic dimension of these attacks. Long-term, planned work to curb antisemitism is needed, in cooperation with the Jewish community and expert civil society organizations. This includes training professionals in the security services, the media, and education to recognize this specific hatred and the mechanisms of its spread. In recent years, we have mostly encountered a refusal by those responsible to accept that antisemitism exists in Serbia at all. We hope that in the period ahead there will be more understanding, responsibility, and courage to confront this complex challenge.

Miško Stanišić, Director