Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SARAJEVO2409
2007-11-08 17:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sarajevo
Cable title:  

BOSNIA: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON JEWISH

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM PINR SOCI BK 
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VZCZCXYZ0041
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVJ #2409/01 3121738
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 081738Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7349
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 002409 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR FOR DICARLO, EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB),EUR/OHI;
NSC FOR BRAUN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR SOCI BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON JEWISH
COMMUNITY LEADER JACOB FINCI


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ENGLISH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SARAJEVO 002409

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR FOR DICARLO, EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHCOMB),EUR/OHI;
NSC FOR BRAUN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR SOCI BK
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON JEWISH
COMMUNITY LEADER JACOB FINCI


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ENGLISH FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (U) Ambassador held an introductory meeting with Jewish
Community leader Jacob Finci on November 5 to discuss the
community's state of affairs. Finci noted that the Bosnian
Jewish community, which currently numbers around 1000 members
but faces a declining birth rate, is heavily focused on
humanitarian and cultural activities. The community is
primarily concerned about property restitution, particularly
heirless property as well as property given to the State in
exchange for exit visas in the late 1940s. Finci also spoke
about his participation in the Inter-Religious Council, and
commented on the influential but often problematic role that

religious leaders play in Bosnia. As illustrations, he cited
the controversy over comments by the Bosniaks' religious
leader, Reis Ceric, at a mosque in Detroit and the strained
relationship between Ceric and the country's top Bosniak
politicians, Sulejman Tihic and Haris Silajdzic. End
Summary.


THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AT A GLANCE
--------------


2. (U) Ambassador met with Jewish Community leader Jacob
Finci on November 5 to discuss the community,s state of
affairs in Bosnia. Finci said approximately 700, mostly aged
members live in Sarajevo, and 300 hundred live in other parts
of the country. He remarked matter-of-factly that over the
past three years since he was elected as the community,s
leader, he had seen 40 deaths and just one newborn in
Sarajevo. Finci then spoke at length about the community,s
humanitarian and cultural activities. These include
overseeing a soup kitchen that provides 320-350 hot meals a
day to people of all faiths; providing financial and other
support to 400 elderly individuals (160 Holocaust survivors
and 240 non-Jews) in Sarajevo and other large cities;
teaching English classes; and administering a school for

small business that provides up to 10,000 KM (7,401 USD) in
seed money to students who complete the program.


3. (U) Finci declared that the country is free of
anti-semitism, and identified property restitution as the
community's top concern. Elaborating on these themes, he
characterized rhetorical attacks on individual Jews, such as
Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj, as job performance-related
criticism, not anti-semitic. The other ethnic groups are too
busy hating each other, and do not have time to hate the
Jews, he surmised. He said the community would like to
regain or receive compensation for property seized during the
Nazi-supported Ustase regime, but the government maintains
that all acts under the regime were declared null and void,
and as a result, focuses its attention on claims from 1945
and beyond. For now, the community,s efforts center on
heirless property and forced &donations8 ) properties that
were &donated8 to the state in exchange for exit visas for
travel to Israel in 1948 and 1949. (Note: The Council of
Ministers adopted a draft law on denationalization in
September; it is now in Parliamentary procedure. End Note.)


4. (U) Finci noted that he is a founding member of the
Inter-Religious Council, which is made up of Finci and three
other religious leaders, Reis Ceric (Muslim),Cardinal Puljic
(Catholic),and Vasilije Kacavenda (Orthodox). Established
in 1997, the Council promotes inter-religious dialogue among
the religious groups. The Council,s chairman serves a
year-long term that rotates among the four representatives,
who focus exclusively on topics on which they can reach
consensus. The Council has a radio show to discuss religious
tolerance and other topics and produces a glossary of
religious terminology for the public.

FINCI'S TAKE ON THE POLITICAL CRISIS
--------------


5. (C) Regarding the current political crisis, Finci
lamented the absence of statesmen who would represent the
interests of all Bosnians, unlike today,s politicians who,
he said, focus solely on advancing the interests of their own
ethnic groups. Speaking philosophically, Finci noted the
unclear role of religious leaders in a democratic state, the
influential role that religious leaders play in Bosnia
compared to other European countries, and the different
messages religious leaders in Bosnia send to different


audiences. To illustrate his point, he referenced the recent
scandal involving Reis Ceric,s comments in a mosque in
Detroit in which he reportedly described Bosnia as a homeland
for Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims). He pointed out that the Reis
probably did not expect that his comments would make their
way back to Bosnia. Finci concluded that it is probably
better that the Jewish community lacks a permanent rabbi
since religious leaders tend to complicate matters.


6. (C) Finally, Finci shared his observations about
infighting among Reis Ceric and the country,s top Bosniak
politicians -- SDA President Sulejman Tihic and SBiH
President Haris Silajdzic. Without providing details, Finci
divulged that, after splitting with Tihic, Ceric tried to
develop a closer relationship with Silajdzic, but the two men
had had a &small fight.8 Whatever the issue at stake,
Silajdzic insisted that, as an elected official, he, and not
Ceric, should speak for Bosniaks.
ENGLISH