Russian threats to shut the Jewish Agency makes Israel upset

• The Jewish Agency for Israel assists Jews who want to immigrate to Israel.
• Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have moved to Israel since the invasion of Ukraine.
• Russian President’s spokesman: “This situation should be treated very carefully”.

Israeli officials are attempting to defuse the diplomatic crisis that has emerged in recent weeks as Moscow seeks to disband the Jewish Agency’s Russian office, an organisation that assists Jews emigrating to Israel.

The Jewish Agency for Israel, established in Jerusalem, supports and assists Jews who want to immigrate to Israel, both logistically and financially. Anyone who is Jewish or can prove they have at least one Jewish grandparent is eligible for Israeli citizenship under Israel’s “Law of Return.”

Thousands of Ukrainian and Russian Jewish immigrants have moved to Israel since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the organization’s unique significance in times of crisis.

According to Russian news agencies, authorities in Russia are charging the agency with alleged violations of local regulations, especially those relating to data collection on Russian individuals. On Thursday, a Russian court will hear a hearing on the Russian government’s request to disband the organization’s operations in the nation.

The Jerusalem Agency headquarters has only acknowledged that a hearing would take place on Thursday and that they will “not comment during the legal process.”
Initially, the situation appeared to be approaching a diplomatic crisis point, with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid warning earlier this week that any attempt to dismantle the agency’s Russian office “would be a serious event that would affect relations” with Russia.

An Israeli delegation will fly for Moscow Wednesday evening under Lapid’s direction and in coordination with Russian authorities, the Israeli ministry stated.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the Jewish Agency has been under investigation by Russian investigators for the past three years. Russian officials officially demanded that the agency discontinue its Russian operations barely weeks after Lapid took over as interim Prime Minister from Naftali Bennett.

In his previous role as foreign minister, Lapid was one of the most vociferous Israeli officials in opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a Russian talk programme that Israel had taken a “pro-Ukrainian” and “biassed” position toward Ukraine in recent months.

However, following days of heightened tensions, a pair of statements from Lapid and Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov is being seen as a move to relieve the strain by emphasising the “legal” issues.

“This situation should be treated very carefully,” Peskov said according to Russia’s state-run news agency TASS. “Indeed, there are questions to the Jewish Agency for Israel from the point of view of complying with Russia’s legislation and this situation should not be politicized or projected onto the entire set of Russian-Israeli ties,” he added.

Shortly after Peskov’s comments, Lapid’s spokesperson responded saying, “If there are legal issues that arise in relation to the important activity of the Jewish Agency in Russia, Israel is, as always, ready and prepared to engage in dialogue while maintaining the important relations between the countries.”

Shortly after Peskov’s remarks, Lapid’s spokesperson responded, saying, “If there are legal issues that arise in relation to the important activity of the Jewish Agency in Russia, Israel is, as always, ready and prepared to engage in dialogue while maintaining the important relations between the countries.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who led the Jewish Agency from 2018 to 2021, appeared to be dialling down on Tuesday, telling an Israeli News Channel 13 conference, “The less we talk about it and the more we do, the better.”

“Russia is an important country. There could be multiple situations and reasons for why and how this occurred “he added

On Tuesday, Lapid’s office made public an exchange of letters between Vladimir Putin and the new Israeli Prime Minister when the latter assumed office four weeks ago, in which the language is pleasant.

Putin congratulated Lapid on his new position in a letter delivered through the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv, noting that “Russian-Israeli relations are traditionally amicable in nature.”

In response, Lapid stated that relations between Russia and Israel are “deeply rooted.”

Since the invasion, Israel has been balancing diplomatic relations with Moscow.
Although it has formally opposed the invasion and regularly gives help to Ukraine, Israel has failed to send the Ukrainians weaponry and has been chastised for not being more robust in its criticism of Russia.

Regionally, however, Israel does not want to offend Russia when the Israeli air force is targeting targets in Syria. In recent years, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against its neighbour, primarily to impede Iran’s supply of precision-guided missile technology to Hezbollah. Since Russia entered into the Syrian conflict in 2015, Israel has needed Moscow’s implicit agreement to carry out such attacks.

Also Read

Gold smuggling in Russia contributes to Putin’s war

Sudan is Africa's third-largest producer of gold. At least 16 confirmed Russian...