Lawyer Marc Zell, the chairman of the Republicans Overseas Israel, recently registered as a lobbyist on behalf of Republika Srpska (RS), the entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) whose president is Milorad Dodik. While Dodik was in Israel attending a conference on antisemitism organized by the country’s Ministry of Diaspora, the Court of BiH issued an international arrest warrant for him.
One of the goals of Zell’s lobbying is the removal of United States (U.S.) sanctions imposed on Dodik, the president of the “pro-Russian and secessionist-oriented RS.”
Under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), any U.S. citizen or company representing foreign interests must report such activities in advance. According to January documentation, Zell’s firm, “Zell & Associates International Advocates,” was registered as a lobbyist for RS.
Zell, who lives in the Israeli settlement of Kfar Etzion in the West Bank, listed that address in the registration. His firm has offices in New York, Washington, Toronto, Moscow, and Amman. According to the contract, Zell is set to receive 840.000 dollars for his services.
The filing includes the full text of the contract between Zell’s firm and the chief of staff of Milorad Dodik, who acted on behalf of the Presidency of RS. The document explicitly states that the lobbying aims to establish and promote dialogue between RS and the incoming Trump administration to improve relations with the U.S.
This rapprochement effort is justified by “changing geopolitical circumstances in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, triggered, among other things, by the war between Russia and Ukraine.”
The registration was filed on January 13th – just a week before Donald Trump’s announced return to the White House and well before any talks between the new administration and Russia or Ukraine.
Zell, whose firm offers international legal services and has previously represented Israelis in similar legal situations, said: “The information you provided me is incomplete, inaccurate, and therefore misleading. Beyond that, I have no comment.”
Dodik (66) is the political leader of the Serb entity in BiH, known for his secessionist and pro-Russian rhetoric. He has repeatedly called for RS to secede from BiH. Due to these positions, he is under U.S. and United Kingdom (UK) sanctions but enjoys strong support from Moscow.
The contract with Zell reflects Dodik’s ambition to separate RS from the rest of the country. The document explicitly states that Zell will lobby the U.S. administration and Congress to reconsider the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The contract also includes lobbying to lift personal sanctions against Dodik and his family, as well as against former RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic, now a member of the BiH Presidency. Zell would receive an additional bonus if he succeeds in this goal.
Arrest warrant issued during a visit to Israel
Last Thursday, the Court of BiH requested Interpol to issue a red notice for RS President Milorad Dodik. In February, he was sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban on political activity for disregarding decisions of the High Representative in BiH.
Dodik dismissed the verdict as illegitimate and continued his public activities. After the ruling, he appeared at a gathering in Serbia with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and then traveled to Israel for the Ministry of Diaspora conference, attended by representatives of the European far-right and the former president of Paraguay, who is also under U.S. sanctions for ties to Hezbollah.
When asked about the arrest warrant, Dodik said it was “nothing new” and accused the BiH judicial system of abuse, declaring that BiH is a “failed state.”
Both Israel and BiH are signatories to the European Convention on Extradition, which obliges member states to extradite suspects upon request – except under certain exemptions. Israel’s Ministry of Justice declined to comment on whether BiH had submitted an extradition request for Dodik.
A source close to the conference organizers said that Dodik left the event shortly after arriving: “He was there for barely an hour and did not attend the main sessions.” When asked whether he left voluntarily or was asked to leave, the source said that Dodik was “politely suggested” to exit the event. The ministry later confirmed that he had left.
According to FARA documents and other sources, Zell previously donated to the campaign of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who now serves as Secretary of State in Trump’s administration.
Paradoxically, Rubio recently criticized Zell’s very own client: “The actions of RS President Milorad Dodik undermine BiH’s institutions and threaten the country’s security and stability,” he wrote on social media. He called on U.S. partners in the region to “oppose this dangerous and destabilizing behavior.”
