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Israel Chose to Stand With US Over Ukraine, But Will It Harm Tel Aviv's Ties With Moscow?

Aside from enjoying stable trade, cultural links, and booming tourism, the two nations have cooperated on a number of security issues. Moscow has played a pivotal role in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians. It shared its intelligence on the Iranian nuclear programme and it turned a blind eye to the Jewish state's actions in Syria.
Sputnik
It took Israel hours to decide how to react to President Vladimir Putin's decision to begin a military operation in Ukraine. But on Thursday afternoon it finally happened. Israel took sides.

"The Russian attack on Ukraine is a severe violation and Israel condemns it", said Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

Yair Lapid

"Israel has deep, long, and good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Israelis are located in these states. Hundreds of thousands of Jews reside there, and keeping them safe is our top priority", he added.

In Pro-American Camp

Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says this stance is understandable, given that Israel has traditionally thought of itself as an ally of the US - who has decided to impose severe sanctions on Moscow.

"As their allies, it was expected from us, and many others, to stand behind them. But Israel has also been trying to find a [middle] way. On the one hand, it wanted to support the American policy. On the other, it wanted to maintain close relations with Russia".

Stable Ties With Moscow

In recent years, Israel has been the beneficiary of these relations. Trade has been steadily increasing, and before the outbreak of COVID-19 so did tourism thanks to the mutual removal of entry permits.
In terms of security, Russia has played a pivotal role in mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, specifically with the Islamic group Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip and which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the Jewish state.
Donbass
It has cooperated with Israel in Syria, turning a blind eye to alleged Israeli attacks against what's believed to be Iranian targets. And it has also assisted in sharing its intelligence when it comes to Tehran's nuclear programme.
Now, with Israel taking a stance, this cooperation might come to an end.

"If the situation deteriorates, we might witness a rise in wheat and oil prices. We might also see some restrictions in trade and travel. Russia might not be so available to hear our concerns when it comes to the Iranian file. And their assistance to locate the bodies of Israel's fallen soldiers in Syria might come to an end too", explained Freeman.

Yet, the expert says that it is still too early to judge what the outcome of Lapid's actions will be. And the reason for this is that so far "we have seen only words, no actions".
The catch is that those "actions" might soon occur. A number of America's allies in Asia have already declared they would impose economic sanctions on Russia.
Such was the case with Japan and South Korea, and Israel may follow suit.

"It is tough to predict whether Israel will do it", said Freeman. "But history shows us that in the past it has".

Israel to the Rescue?

In 2021, Israel was the only country at the United Nations General Assembly that supported the US and its economic embargo of Cuba, voting to continue the move for the 29th consecutive year.
And years earlier, in the 1990s, Israel stood behind NATO during its operation in Kosovo, agreeing to take in a number of refugees.

"The way we view the situation is that Israel has a pro-American orientation and it follows the American lead. But the fact that we understand Russia and enjoy strong relations with Moscow is an asset and I will not be surprised if we find out that Israel has been secretly mediating between Russia and the US", said Freeman.

Last month, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested doing just that, calling for the two superpowers' leaders to convene in Jerusalem in a bid to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
Those calls went unanswered, but as the situation continues to escalate, an Israeli mediation plan might not be that far-fetched.
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