Page 56 - HaMizrachi Tu BiShvat 5782 - USA

Realpolitik Should Guide

Israeli-Russian Relations

Professor Efraim Inbar

ne of the first foreign lead- providing Russian forces a naval base in the Cold War. The Soviet Union became
ers Israel’s Prime Minister Tartus and an air base in Hmeymim. In the arms supplier for most Arab coun-
Naftali Bennett met was the general, Russia seeks to maintain good tries and trained their armies, seeking
ORussian President Vladimir relations with all parties in the Middle influence in the Middle East at the
Putin, on October 22, 2021 in Sochi. East, including Iran and Israel, the expense of Western powers. In the
Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Turkey, wake of the 1967 Six Day War, the Soviet
Today’s Russia is no longer the super-
power that was the Soviet Union. It and Iraq. Union led most Eastern bloc countries
is economically weak and dependent In October 2021, Israel and Russia into severing diplomatic ties with Israel
upon energy prices. But it still is a marked the 30th anniversary of the and moved to consistently vote against
very important country. It has a large resumption of relations between the Israel in all international institutions.
nuclear arsenal, and it does not hesi- two countries. It is important to recall After the end of the Cold War, Russia
tate to use force in foreign affairs (for several important historical facts in reestablished diplomatic relations with
example, in occupying Crimea). Its understanding the relationship. The Israel and posted an ambassador in Tel
energy exports serve as levers of influ- Jewish people have a moral debt to Aviv.
ence internationally. Moreover, it has Russia (formerly, the Soviet Union) Cordial relations followed. Russia
a significant presence in the Middle which fought fiercely against the opened its gates for the Jews to leave.
East, a region that Russia views as its Nazis during World War II. The Red Occasionally, Israel refrained from
backyard. Army liberated many Jews from Nazi voting on anti-Russian resolutions at
death camps. The Soviet Union voted
Today, Russia sells arms to Egypt, international fora. Israel even sold
Iran, Turkey, and several other Arab in favor of the establishment of the Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) to
countries. Egypt has purchased two State of Israel at the UN in 1947 (it did Russia. In an unexpected, unprece-
so primarily to push Britain out of
Russian nuclear power reactors, which dented and curious move, Moscow
will make Egypt dependent on Russian the region). It enabled the transfer of recognized West Jerusalem to be Isra-
nuclear fuel for several decades. In weapons from Czechoslovakia to Israel el’s capital (April 2017), making Russia
during Israel’s War of Independence.
Syria, the Russian air force is fighting the first country in the world to extend
to preserve Bashir Assad’s regime, This sympathetic stance towards Israel such a recognition to any part of the
proving to everyone that Russia does was replaced by a distinctly pro-Arab city. In parallel, Russia declared that
not abandon its allies – in contrast to orientation in the 1950s. Israel and the eastern part of the city should be
the US. Assad has rewarded Moscow by Russia were on opposing sides during the capital of a Palestinian state.

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