Focus on
Ambassador to Serbia
by Mijat Kontić
SHARED ROOTS STRENGTHEN FUTURE BONDS
Cultural ties, innovation, and resilience shape the growing partnership between Israel and Serbia
Israeli Ambassador to Serbia, Avivit Bar-Ilan, spoke with Mijat Kontić, a journalist for Diplomacy & Commerce magazine, in an exclusive conversation for the new television programme Diplomat, produced by Diplomacy & Commerce in cooperation with Euronews Serbia. The show premieres every Saturday at 9 PM on Euronews Serbia. This interview is a transcript of their discussion, covering topics ranging from shared historical ties to innovation, diplomacy, and cultural exchange between Israel and Serbia.
Maybe not all of our viewers know that your father was born in Belgrade, and your grandparents were born in Pančevo. How has reconnecting with your family roots in Serbia influenced your perspective as an ambassador, and does this personal connection shape your approach to strengthening the ties between Serbia and Israel?
To become the Israeli ambassador to Serbia was a dream for me, and being here today is a dream that has come true. I’m very proud and happy to represent my country here in Serbia, and it’s definitely due to my family roots and connections. The moment I arrived here last summer, I felt immediately at home. The smell of the food and the sound of the language reminded me
of my grandparents speaking at home, and naturally, I felt very comfortable here. My aim here is to do the best I can to bring our bilateral ties, Israel and Serbia, to new heights, and I’m looking forward to my continuous stay here.
Last week, you visited the Holocaust Memorial and the Kladovo Transport Memorial on the occasion of Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day, accompanied by members of the Jewish community of Belgrade and its president, Aaron Fuchs. How do such commemorations contribute to preserving the memory of the Holocaust, and furthermore, what role do they play in fostering understanding and dialogue between communities in Serbia and Israel?
Well, definitely as a daughter of Holocaust survivors, I found great importance in preserving the memory of the Shoah, the Holocaust that happened to Jewish people in Europe and here more than 80 years ago. I think the most important thing for all of us these days is to to educate, to make sure that the young generation, those who didn’t have the opportunity to
THE MOMENT I ARRIVED HERE, I FELT IMMEDIATELY AT HOME
H.e. aVIVIT Bar-IlaN
Israeli Ambassador to Serbia
hear or witness survivors’ testimonies, that unfortunately they will not stay with us for a long time, will understand and know exactly what happened here. And this is of great importance. We need to know what happened in the past to have a better future. And this is the reason that Israel, which is now also presiding over IHRA, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, puts a lot of emphasis during its presidency on commemorating and educating the young generation. We chose the theme Crossroads of Generations, meaning that this is a bridge for future generations. And I hope that during our presidency, together with the Serbian government, we’ll find new creative ways to tell the stories of a vibrant and lively society, part of Belgrade’s history that existed here many years ago. And unfortunately, most of it didn’t come back from the war.
IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED, DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL
Our viewers are probably familiar with the Baruh Brothers Choir, which was founded in 1879 in Belgrade and is, according to some researchers, the oldest active Jewish choir in the world. They even have their own street in Belgrade. Not only does this choir represent one of the synonyms of Jewish culture in Serbia, but it also aims to include the mutual communication of tradition and closeness between the Jewish and Serbian people. How important is this tradition for the Jewish communities?
I think it’s of great importance. I’m very happy with the message the Baruh Choir is transforming here in Serbia because it’s a perfect example of how you can tell the story of those people, of the Jewish community here in Belgrade before the war, in modern life, and to cherish it in a very innovative way. The city of Belgrade is full of monuments and points of interest that tell the story of a very vibrant, rich Jewish community before the Second World War. And I would like very much for the general public to know and understand better what was present here before the Holocaust. I don’t know if you had the opportunity to visit the Jewish cemetery in Belgrade, but this is an amazing place, because while walking in the trails in the cemetery, you can understand better how our destiny, the destiny of the Jewish people and the Serbian people, is so much interlinked with each other. There are some monuments there and the tombs of important people that contributed to the Serbian nation, if it’s the Buli family that one of the brothers was helping the Yugoslav army to win or to succeed in the war, in the First World War, and that became later the first Jewish member of the parliament. His brother was of great importance for the development of sports, he brought the first soccer ball to Serbia. Or stories of other people we should all know, cherish, and better understand, for their contribution to today’s cultural life.
While we’re on the topic of history, after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, post-war Yugoslavia was among the first countries to recognise Israel. How has this shaped the historical friendship between the two countries?
I’m very proud that Yugoslavia, at the time when the state of Israel was fighting for its independence in 1948, played a major role and expressed its friendship while allowing the transfer of arms and aeroplanes to the newly established Jewish state that was fighting for its existence. This friendship came to reality again after October 7th, when Israel was fighting this horrible massacre, and the friendship of Serbia was expressed again in so many ways, and this is something that we, the people of Israel, will never forget.
In your recent tweets, you thanked Serbia for giving the basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team well-known among Serbian sports fans, their second home. Two years after this decision, how do you see this move contributing to the cultural and sports diplomacy between Serbia and Israel?
We were so greatful for President of Serbia, for Government of Serbia, the City of Belgrade, the people of Serbia, for opening your home, your Pioneer Hall, to the Israeli teams to play their home games here in Serbia, because unfortunately, because of the war, it was not possible to do it in Israel. This brought a big wave of Israeli fans visiting Serbia and expressing gratitude for the Serbian warm hospitality. I think I am a true believer in people-to-people exchanges and connections. I’m sure that with this gesture, there will be many new Serbian ambassadors in Israel because every fan, sports fan, who comes back from Belgrade tells excellent stories about his experience visiting Serbia in Belgrade. I’m sure that this will enhance the tourism connections between our two countries.
That’s great. And could you tell us how you see the future of women in diplomacy? There is a certain gender gap, but do you see it further decreasing, and do you see it being sustainable in the future?
The issue of women’s empowerment is very close to my heart, and I’m a true believer in women’s empowerment and diversity. I think the moment we have more different voices around the table will lead to better decisions and outcomes. Therefore, I call for the integration of women in all segments of decision-making processes. As part of foreign policy making, we definitely should have more women around the table. Unfortunately, in my country, out of 97 ambassadors worldwide, there are only 27 women ambassadors. I hope that we will have an equal number of women ambassadors within a decade. Hopefully, one day we will also have the lead, the whole Ministry of Foreign Affairs management, in the hands of women diplomats.
Israel is often referred to as the startup nation. How can Serbia leverage this Israeli expertise in innovation to encourage its startup ecosystem?
We are a society driven by creating new things out of necessity. Okay, so part of our high-tech and innovation ecosystem is based on young people who finished the military service, went into the economic life, implemented things they learned during their military service into real life, and came out with new inventions and ideas. Part of our secret of success is not to be afraid to fail.
Behind many successful startup companies in Israel, there are many failures that those heads of companies learned and improved themselves from one time to another. So, if you want to succeed, don’t be afraid to fail. And of course, integrate women in the decision-making process. However, we are eager to contribute more to developing the innovation ecosystem here. Two delegations from Serbia will visit Israel soon, one on the topic of AI and cyber, and the other on smart cities. And I’m very proud that Israeli companies are also contributing to implementing Serbia’s green agenda and introducing new alternative energy sources to Serbia.
With Serbia’s exports to Israel growing at an annualised rate of 19.3% over the past five years, and Israel’s exports to Serbia increasing by 18.6% annually, what factors do you believe are driving this growth, and how can this growth be sustained?
First of all, I’m very proud that last year we witnessed an increase of 64% in our bilateral trade, reaching the height of $200 million. And I hope that this tendency will only increase in the coming years. During the visit of our
president, President Herzog, a few months ago. Our two presidents announced their intention to double our trade volume within three years. We also signed a joint declaration on technological innovation cooperation during that visit. And this is, again, a tool that will allow our innovation ecosystems to work closely together. And many elements in both our economies can complement each other. We are now importing agricultural products from Serbia to Israel, which will diversify our imports from other countries. You can also find Serbian products on Israeli shelves in Israeli supermarkets. There are a lot of Israeli infrastructure companies investing here in Serbia, whether it’s AFI, Shikun & Binui, or you’re all probably well aware of the BIG Shopping Mall. BIG is an Israeli company. So I’m very proud of the presence of Israeli investment here and looking forward to new venues where we can have more in common to cooperate, because this is the secret to our mutual success.
Serbian writer Filip David recently passed away. He left a profound legacy in literature and culture, standing toe to toe with writers like Oskar Davičo and Danilo Kiš. As someone famous for writing about historical truths and human rights, how can his literary and societal contributions serve as a model for addressing complex issues in today’s diplomacy?
I’m a true believer in people-to-people connections, and I think this is the best way to learn about each other’s different cultures and backgrounds through literature, art, and cinema. As a descendant of Serbian origin, I’m very proud that so much Serbian literature has been translated into Hebrew. I could read The Bridge on the Drina, Eric Koch’s, Philip David’s, and many other prominent writers in my mother tongue. Last week, I met a fantastic lady. Her name is Reli Alfandari Pardo. She is a Holocaust survivor, an Israeli, only 97 years old, living currently in Israel. Her biography, which was written in Hebrew and translated into the Serbian language, I couldn’t stop reading this book. I learned so much about our common history from reading that book. We are enthusiastic about promoting and introducing Israeli culture to the Serbian audience. I was very proud that the Israeli dance company Vertigo was opening the Belgrade Dance Festival. I’m very much looking for Serbian artists to come and present their art in Israel so that our two people can know and understand each other much better. For that, we have much to do to promote our cultures mutually.
The situation in Palestine continues to be a topic of global concern. From your perspective, what steps are necessary to cultivate dialogue and work towards a peaceful resolution that benefits all parties involved?
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONNECTIONS ARE THE BEST WAY TO BUILD UNDERSTANDING
Well, in the war, people tend to forget how it all started. The war in Gaza began more than a year and a half ago, with a sudden attack by Hamas on innocent civilian communities inside Israel, Saturday morning, 6 a.m., where people were dragged from their homes in their pyjamas and were taken hostage to Gaza. And people need to know that since then, 250 people have been kidnapped. Out of them, 59 are still held kidnapped, hostages, in Gaza, in the underground, in tunnels, with no minimal humanitarian needs they deserve to have. And the war that started because of that sudden attack is still going on, and our government is determined to bring back the people of Israel the security, and to make sure that this thing will not happen again. And for making sure that this will not happen again, there is a need to make sure that the future of Gaza will not be in the hands of those terrorists, Hamas, and that Hamas will dismantle its security and its economic capabilities in Gaza. And without dismantling Hamas, there won’t be any future for Israel’s security, but also for the people of Gaza. Those miserable people who were caught in this fire deserve a better future than being taken hostage. The Hamas fanatics also take them hostage, and they cannot have a proper, normal life over there. So I hope very much that this will reach an end, where the people of Israel and the Palestinian people in Gaza will have a better, more promising future.
Now, we have recently received updates about the state of the Israeli-Serbian citizen Alon Ohel, who Hamas terrorists took hostage on October 7th, 2023. How do you view the importance of keeping his story alive in the public sphere, which you have actively been doing since you came to Serbia?
I think anybody that hears the story of Alon Ohel, a young man, a pianist, age of 23, the age of one of my daughters, who was dancing in a dance festival and was brutally kidnapped on that day by a Hamas terrorist, is something, a story that you cannot keep silent after listening to this personal story and meeting the family of Alon that are descendants of, their origins come from Serbia. The mother of Alon accompanied our president while he was visiting here in Israel, and we are very much grateful for the Serbian government in doing whatever it can in calling, approaching the international community and us calling, demanding for his return because of the dual citizenship, also because of the very dire situation he’s in.
In the last round of the release of hostages, some of the hostages who came back were held in prison with him. And the stories we heard about his health condition are very worrying. He lost his eyesight in one eye. And there’s a big danger that he will lose his eyesight in both eyes. And he’s in a very dire humanitarian situation. And of course, this is the reason we need to bring him back, but all the other hostages, because there’s no time. And time is in the absence. After a year and a half being held in such very bad conditions, we are very much worried for his life and all the others who are still kept alive.
NEW HORIZONS IN ISRAELI-SERBIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Trade, investment, innovation, and tourism drive the evolving strategic partnership
Over the past year, economic relations between Serbia and Israel have reached a new level of intensity and complexity, creating space for further cooperation across various sectors. Trade, investment, and institutional linkages between the two countries have shown not only quantitative growth but also a qualitative shift towards long-term strategic partnerships.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE NOT BUILT OVERNIGHT — THEY ARE CRAFTED THROUGH VISION, TRUST, AND THE SHARED AMBITION TO CREATE LASTING GROWTH.
Photo: Shutterstock
A key signal of the political will to further enhance economic ties was the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Belgrade in September 2024. During meetings with Serbia’s top officials, it was announced that the two countries are in the final stages of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement, aimed at facilitating product placement, reducing customs barriers, and creating more favourable conditions for investment projects. President Aleksandar Vučić stated that the agreement would be of crucial importance for the Serbian economy, while President Herzog expressed hope that the overall economic exchange would triple in a relatively short period.
BEYOND NUMBERS AND AGREEMENTS, THE TRUE STRENGTH OF ISRAELI-SERBIAN TIES LIES IN THE GROWING TRUST, SHARED AMBITIONS, AND A CLEAR VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
These agreements envisage the organisation of joint accelerator programmes, mentoring initiatives, and investment forums to help better integrate innovative Serbian companies into the international market.
According to the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, total trade between Serbia and Israel reached 121 million euros in 2023, with a strong growth trend continuing into the first half of 2024. The structure of trade highlights increasingly diverse cooperation — alongside traditional trade in agricultural and food products, there is growing importance in areas such as information technology, innovation, the pharmaceutical industry, and agricultural machinery.
On the investment front, Israeli companies have shown increased interest in investing in Serbia, particularly in the fields of real estate, infrastructure, and high technology. Over the past year, there has been a notable rise in investment activities by Israeli developers in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and other major cities, as well as concrete investments in IT start-ups and green energy projects. The opening of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce’s representative office in Jerusalem three years ago further strengthened the institutional framework for economic cooperation, facilitating access to the Israeli market for Serbian companies and vice versa.
Special emphasis has been placed on innovation and digital transformation. In 2024, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce signed three memoranda of cooperation with Israeli institutions, aimed at fostering joint research and development projects, knowledge exchange, and the connection of the two countries’ innovation ecosystems. The focus is on start-ups in the fields of biotechnology, agrotechnology, and advanced software solutions.
One of the significant areas of cooperation is the field of renewable energy. A Memorandum of Understanding signed back in 2022 in the area of green energy is now being implemented through projects involving solar power plants, wind farms, and the development of green hydrogen technologies. In this context, Israeli companies and research centres are actively participating in projects in Vojvodina and eastern Serbia, while joint initiatives in geothermal energy and smart grids are also being considered.
Tourism is another area experiencing significant growth. According to the latest data, the number of Israeli tourists visiting Serbia during the first seven months of 2024 increased by more than 20 percent compared to the same period last year. Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Fruška Gora remain the most attractive destinations, while there is growing interest in spa tourism, culinary offerings, and events such as the EXIT Festival and the Belgrade Marathon. The rise in tourism flows further strengthens people-to-people ties, facilitates business contacts, and creates an environment for new forms of cooperation, including cultural and educational exchanges.
The strong presence of the Israeli community in Serbia and good cooperation with local institutions further contribute to strengthening relations between the two nations. In this regard, joint projects such as exhibitions, conferences, and academic partnerships play an important role in building long-term trust and mutual understanding.
Looking ahead, Serbia and Israel face numerous opportunities for further deepening their economic ties. The Free Trade Agreement, the strengthening of investment flows, enhanced cooperation in innovation and energy, and joint participation in third markets represent key levers for future development. Both sides have demonstrated readiness to view this cooperation not merely through the lens of short-term benefits, but as a long-term strategic partnership that can contribute to stability, prosperity, and shared success.
Photo: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock
