ZAGREB — Croatian President Zoran Milanovic refused to approve Israel's new ambassador to Zagreb, citing the policies pursued by the current Israeli authorities. It is the first time in Croatia's history that a president has rejected the approval of an ambassador.

Nissan Amdur had been put forward to replace Ambassador Gary Koren, whose term finished at the end of May. Amdur will instead travel to Croatia as a chargé d'affaires, an appointment that does not require presidential approval. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was working with its Croatian counterparts to resolve the matter of the status of Israel's next ambassador in Zagreb.

Milanovic said that granting or withholding consent for proposed ambassadors is a sovereign right of the president. He said he had previously refrained from publicly commenting on the matter in line with diplomatic practice. Milanovic argued that Israel had broken the unwritten rule by announcing its proposed ambassador before receiving consent.

The president of Croatia has the domain to confirm ambassadorial appointments despite having limited formal powers. Milanovic, who has been in office since 2020, is part of a left-wing party that holds different views from the conservative government, which supports Israel.

The decision follows earlier moves by Milanovic that placed him at odds with Israeli policy. In February, he announced that members of Croatia's armed forces would not cooperate with the Israeli army due to what he described as their unacceptable actions and unprecedented trampling of international humanitarian law. In March, he condemned the US-Israel war on Iran.

Relations between Croatia and Israel have been strained as Israel has conducted military operations in Gaza and the broader Middle East.