Republika Srpska Funds Conservative US-Israeli Lobbyists and Trips to Israel

Official records filed with the US Department of Justice reveal how Republika Srpska spends public money on lobbying. The authorities hired the firm Zell and Associates International Advocates to influence American politics and fight sanctions. Reports show that this firm paid American-Israeli legal scholar Eugene Kontorovich 65,000 dollars between August and December 2025. The money went toward consulting services performed outside the United States on behalf of the entity.

Kontorovich is a law professor at George Mason University and a former fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. He has publicly supported Milorad Dodik in the media and criticized the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The lobbying firm also organized and financed an official visit to Israel for Republika Srpska leaders. In January 2026, Dodik met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to seek political support.

The firm's founder, Marc Zell, has frequently promoted Dodik's political narrative and attacked the government in Sarajevo. The government of Republika Srpska refused to disclose specific financial details of the contracts, claiming the documents are classified state secrets. The firm and Kontorovich did not reply to inquiries.

Economic expert Svetlana Cenic warned that public money is being spent without transparency to secure the political survival of individual leaders. She noted that taxpayers gain little more than photo opportunities with foreign officials. The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously banned budget payments for lobbying deals that violate the state constitution. Experts argue that while Dodik uses these connections to project power at home, they have not granted him access to top US decision-makers.