Bosnia's Silence on Gaza: Genocide Scholars in a Moral Quandary

As Bosnia and Herzegovina marks three decades since the end of its devastating war—a conflict that claimed approximately 100,000 lives and culminated in the Srebrenica genocide—a troubling paradox has emerged within its academic community. While many Bosnian survivors see striking parallels between their own suffering and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a significant number of the country's genocide scholars have remained conspicuously silent.

The Ghosts of Srebrenica

July 1995 remains etched in the collective memory of Bosnia and the world. In that month, Bosnian Serb forces led by General Ratko Mladić, the "Butcher of Bosnia," massacred over 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica—a United Nations-designated "safe area." This atrocity, recognized as genocide by international tribunals, became Europe's deadliest mass killing since World War II.

In the decades since, Bosnia, with significant foreign donor support, has invested heavily in studying, memorializing, and seeking justice for this genocide. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia heard hundreds of witnesses and sentenced dozens of high-ranking Bosnian Serb political and military leaders for their roles in these crimes.

Parallels That Cannot Be Ignored

When the conflict in Gaza escalated in late 2023, many Bosnians who survived the 1992-1995 war saw haunting similarities between their experiences and the suffering of Palestinians. They took to the streets in Sarajevo and other cities, holding photos of Palestinian victims and expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza.

"When the genocide in Gaza began, many Bosnians who survived the 1992-1995 war saw striking parallels between their own experiences and the suffering of Palestinians," write Samir Beharić and Emina Zoletić in a recent Al Jazeera opinion piece. "Many took to the streets and spoke out against the genocidal war in Palestine."

"The genocide in Gaza clearly mirrors the dynamics seen in Srebrenica, defined by dehumanisation, ideological mobilisation and international complicity."

— Edina Bećirević, genocide scholar at the University of Sarajevo

The Courageous Voices

Despite the prevailing silence, a notable group of Bosnian intellectuals has chosen to speak out. Professors like Lejla Kreševljaković, Sanela Čekić Bašić, Gorana Mlinarević, and Jasna Fetahović have emphasized their moral responsibility not to remain silent. They have participated in protests and publicly drawn connections between the two conflicts.

Belma Buljubašić, a political science professor at the University of Sarajevo, has been particularly critical of the double standards she observes in Western discourse. "She has criticised European and other political leaders who express sympathy for Srebrenica while justifying Israel's actions in Gaza as acts of 'self-defence'. Such double standards...reveal a troubling pragmatism that undermines both solidarity and accountability."

The Calculated Silence

Paradoxically, many of Bosnia's genocide scholars—particularly those at institutions like the University of Sarajevo's Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law—have remained silent despite the obvious parallels. This reticence is especially glaring when compared to the robust responses from international colleagues, including Israeli genocide scholars who have openly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars, the world's largest academic body in the field, passed a resolution in August 2025 declaring that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. Yet many Bosnian scholars associated with genocide studies have been reluctant to comment on these findings.

Several factors appear to drive this silence. Some scholars fear professional repercussions in Western academia, believing that criticizing Israel would be detrimental to their careers. Others may be concerned about maintaining beneficial international ties and funding sources.

The Case of the Srebrenica Memorial Center

Perhaps the most striking example of this silence is Emir Suljagić, a genocide survivor and director of the Srebrenica Memorial Center. When asked about his stance on Gaza in late 2023, Suljagić infamously told Haaretz: "This is not our battle."

His remarks drew swift condemnation from many Bosnia-watchers, who pointed to the double standards in his position. Just a year earlier, Suljagić had published an op-ed urging Ukrainians "not to lay down their arms." Moreover, under his leadership, the Srebrenica Memorial Center had produced case studies on Ukraine, Syria, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, highlighting early warning signs of mass violence and genocide.

When the Palestinian community in Bosnia expressed surprise over the lack of solidarity from Srebrenica with Gaza—questioning whether the center's ties to the World Jewish Congress had something to do with its silence—Suljagić accused them of anti-Semitism and went as far as to compare Hamas members to Chetniks, the Serb nationalist forces responsible for atrocities against Bosnian Muslims during World War II.

The Moral Imperative

The silence of many of Bosnia's genocide scholars is not accidental. It reflects a complex interplay of professional concerns, political considerations, and perhaps a reluctance to confront the uncomfortable reality that the international community's failure to protect Bosnia three decades ago may be repeating in Gaza.

As the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords approaches—agreements that have effectively made Bosnia a "forever protectorate" under international supervision—this silence raises profound questions about the moral responsibility of those who dedicate their lives to studying genocide.

"When the genocide in Gaza began, many Bosnians who survived the 1992-1995 war saw striking parallels between their own experiences and the suffering of Palestinians," the Al Jazeera article reminds us. "Many took to the streets and spoke out against the genocidal war in Palestine."

Yet, as one observer noted, "Silence remains not a neutral stance but a political choice that sustains harm." In a world where genocidal dynamics continue to repeat, the question Bosnia's scholars must confront is whether their silence serves the victims of the past or merely protects their own present comfort.