Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not hesitate to break his Sabbath, the Jewish ritual weekly day of rest, on Saturday March 5, to make an urgent visit to Moscow, in the hope of advancing negotiations on the war in Ukraine. He is the first foreign head of state that Vladimir Putin has met since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Aside from the Russian invasion itself, the two men spoke for “about three hours” of the Jewish community in Ukraine and Russia, as well as negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue.
→ ANALYSIS. Israel torn by war in Ukraine
On the way back, Naftali Bennett passed through Berlin to meet the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The Israeli prime minister has also since met with the American and French presidents, and several times with the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky. The fact that there weren’t more leaks about his visit could be a good sign for his mediation efforts – but Naftali Bennett was keen to hold back expectations: “Even if our chances of success are not extraordinary…we have a moral obligation to continue”, he declared Sunday in front of his office.
“Israel has a lot to lose if the war continues”
The Russian and Ukrainian positions – resignation of the government in Kiev and capitulation on the one hand, total withdrawal of Russian troops on the other – seem irreconcilable. However, the Jewish state is in a unique situation and could create a surprise: ‘Putin and Zelensky have both gained some confidence in the Israeli government’says Zeev Khanin, political scientist at Bar-Ilan University and specialist in the Russian-speaking community in Israel.
The initiative, kept secret, was well received in Israel. This gives the small state an air of importance that is not negligible. It is also a response to the expectations of the Israelis. Public opinion is uniformly aligned on the Ukrainian side, but it is also aware of the importance of maintaining good relations with Russia, which controls Syrian airspace. “Israel has a lot to lose if the war in Ukraine continues,” adds Zeev Khanin, like his freedom of action in Syrian airspace.
The Ze’ev Elkin Trump
In this country at the crossroads of Western, Middle Eastern and Slavic political traditions, Vladimir Putin’s virile nationalist obsession also inspires a certain respect. Naftali Bennett had in his luggage a major asset: Ze’ev Elkin, the current Minister of Housing and Jerusalem Affairs. Elected from Likud since 2008 and close to its leader, Benyamin Netanyahu, Ze’ev Elkin created a surprise in the last elections by joining the secessionist New Hope party, then the new government of Naftali Bennett.
Born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine, from where he emigrated in 1990 at the age of 19, this convinced member of the Zionist religious movement regularly accompanied the everlasting Israeli Prime Minister on his travels to Moscow. It alone embodies the linguistic, cultural, and political rapprochement that has been going on for years between Israel and Russia.
Existential threat
The other members of the Bennett team focus more on the Iranian nuclear issue. From the Israeli point of view, the two problems are intimately linked. The Jewish state, fiercely opposed to any consideration of Iranian interests, sees the international community, obsessed with the war in Ukraine, turning away from what it considers an existential threat.
→ PORTRAIT. Iranian nuclear: Mikhail Oulianov, the Russian show at the heart of the negotiation
On Saturday, Russia curbed its support for the nuclear deal, conditioning its endorsement on an adjustment of Western sanctions. Iran does not look favorably on this junction of the two subjects, while the discussions seemed to be moving in the right direction.