On September 3rd in Banja Luka, the Israeli Chamber of Commerce will be established in Republika Srpska and headed by controversial Israeli businessman Amir Gross Kabiri.
As announced by the Office for International Cooperation of Republika Srpska, an official inauguration will be held at the Administrative Center of the Republika Srpska Government, starting at 8:00 p.m.
The Acting Director of the Office for International Cooperation, Ana Trišić-Babić, and Kabiri himself will host the ceremony. The announced presence of Galit Peleg, the Israeli Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirms the importance of this event.
Amir Gross Kabiri has positioned himself as one of the most prominent figures regarding Israeli influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His rapid business rise in Herzegovina, which culminated in the takeover of Mostar’s Aluminij in 2020 and investments in HŠK Zrinjski, relies heavily on strong support from the HDZ BiH leader, Dragan Čović, as well as SNSD President Milorad Dodik.
Kabiri’s ties with Dodik are nothing new. Their previous encounters in Jerusalem, as well as telltale joint trips from Belgrade, clearly indicated the expansion of business ambitions in the energy and raw materials sectors.
In addition to numerous business and political moves, Kabiri’s activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been marked by numerous controversies. Beyond making groundless accusations of antisemitism against Sarajevo on several occasions, Kabiri came into the spotlight for attempting to impose himself as the main representative of the Jewish community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, declaring himself president of the Jewish Community of Mostar.
His methods and actions did not go unnoticed on a global level either. Menachem Rosensaft, Vice President of the World Jewish Congress, previously harshly criticized Kabiri’s investments in Poland and his moves in BiH, drawing a clear contrast between him and authentic representatives of the Jewish community in BiH, such as Vladimir Andrle, Klix.ba writes.
