Over recent days Kraus accused Kotel Da Don of creating divisions in the Zagreb Jewish community.
Dismissing allegations, the rabbi said that he had decided to cease with keeping his three-month silence.
"A task of a rabbi is to bring about unity in the entire community in spirit of tolerance I have worked persistently on it for seven years," Kotel Da Don told Hina on the phone.
He said that he had succeeded in it, which was proven by the fact that this June "two thirds of members of the assembly of the Jewish Community in Zagreb voted for my stay" in Croatia as the rabbi.
Kotel Da Don said that he believed that the problem "lies in a lack of the understanding of the current leadership of the Zagreb Jewish Community for the work and duties of a rabbi." This is evident as the Community's statute book does not have any segment referring to the role of the rabbi in the Community, Kotel Da Don said.
The chief rabbi in Croatia was thrust in the limelight when the Zagreb Jewish Municipality Council last Wednesday decided with a majority vote not to sign a new contract with him. Three months before those who were against the renewal of the contract announced this possibility and the entire matter came in the focus of the media.
Last Wednesday the Council said that international applications for this post will be invited soon.
Kotel Da-Don was inaugurated as rabbi at the Zagreb Jewish Community in early November 1998. He was the first rabbi to be inaugurated in Croatia after 55 years.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has been also embroiled in arguments between the two opposing sides in the Council of the Zagreb Jewish Community.
Last Thursday Mesic that Kotel Da-Don had been relieved of his duties as Chief Rabbi for Croatia for reasons other than religious ones.
"The decision was made mostly by atheists who have nothing to do with the Jewish faith," Mesic told reporters when asked to comment on Wednesday evening's decision by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Council of the Jewish Community in Zagreb not to extend Rabbi Kotel Da-Don's contract and to invite international applications for the office.
After that the Council's head Kraus sent an open letter to the Croatian head of state explaining the position of those who were against the renewal of the contract with Kotel Da Don.