\u201cIf the Minister of Defense or anyone else wants to enter into this kind of arrangement with Israel \u2014 the procurement of the so-called David\u2019s Sling system \u2014 that would also require cooperation between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Israeli military: personnel from the General Staff, operational units and the command structure. By God, that will not happen. The Croatian Armed Forces, under my order, will not take part in it,\u201d President Zoran Milanovi\u0107 said on Tuesday, commenting on reports that the Minister of Defense is negotiating with Israel over the procurement of the so-called David\u2019s Sling system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a warning \u2014 do not do it. Not a single Croatian soldier will take part in it. If civilians were to do it, it would be the first time in history,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 added. Referring to the David\u2019s Sling system itself, he said that \u201ceven if it were the last such system in the world \u2014 which it is not \u2014 it is replaceable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 also warned that the Minister of Defense is negotiating with Israel at the very moment \u201cwhen Israel is arming our closest neighbor, which we regard as a security concern \u2014 I am referring to Serbia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking about Israeli arms sales to Serbia, he explained: \u201cIt began a year ago when Serbia purchased a multiple rocket launcher system from Israel with a range of 300 kilometers. It is an even more offensive weapon than what the Chinese allegedly sold them. Perhaps the minister should ask his friends in Tel Aviv \u2014 why did you sell it to Serbia? Israel is actively arming a country that both Plenkovi\u0107 and the minister describe as an adversary. Do they see any inconsistency there, any reason to ask Israel why it is doing that? No, it is considered an ally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat ally, from whom the minister is seeking to buy the so-called David\u2019s Sling, is arming Serbia \u2014 and not only arming it, not only supplying highly offensive weapons, against which defense is even more difficult than against hypersonic missiles \u2014 but also helping integrate all the weapons Serbia has acquired into a \u2018kill chain\u2019, acting as system integrators. These are the same Israelis with whom the minister is negotiating the procurement of the so-called David\u2019s Sling,\u201d the President warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also asked Prime Minister Plenkovi\u0107 why, in his letter to the NATO Secretary General, he had not raised the issue of Israel as well. \u201cCooperation with Israel requires trust, and I do not trust someone who arms my challenger. It is difficult for me to understand why some people do not see this \u2014 or pretend not to see it \u2014 and why they are dragging us into it,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIf the Minister of Defense or anyone else wants to enter into this kind of arrangement with Israel \u2014 the procurement of the so-called David\u2019s Sling system \u2014 that would also require cooperation between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Israeli military: personnel from the General Staff, operational units and the command structure. By God, that will not happen. The Croatian Armed Forces, under my order, will not take part in it,\u201d President Zoran Milanovi\u0107 said on Tuesday, commenting on reports that the Minister of Defense is negotiating with Israel over the procurement of the so-called David\u2019s Sling system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":42566,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-42567","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n