Russia slams Israel’s ‘biased’ rhetoric on Ukraine amid bid to shut Jewish Agency

Russia has accused Israel of being “unconstructive” amid a growing row over a proposal in Moscow to close down the Jewish Agency and seize its assets.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday that relations had been deteriorating between the two countries since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, fuelled by what she termed “biased rhetoric” from Israel.

Israeli officials expressed anger after a court was asked last week to consider liquidating the Russian assets of the Jewish Agency, which organises Jewish immigration to Israel.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned a closure would be a serious event with repercussions on the two countries’ relationship, while former Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky – himself a migrant from Soviet Russia – called it an attempt to sow discord in the West.

But Zakharova said Russian-Israeli relations had been declining since the war in Ukraine began at the end of February.

“Unfortunately, we heard completely unconstructive and, most importantly, biased rhetoric in the statements that Tel Aviv made in recent months,” she told the broadcaster Soloviev Live TV, according to the Tass news agency.

“When the Israeli leadership expressed anti-Russian assessments at various levels – and this is exactly how they sounded – and adopted a pro-Ukrainian position, which actually was about supporting the Kyiv regime rather than the Ukrainian people, it was totally in line with what the West keeps saying in a strange and slightly weird manner, and it did raise questions.”

Growing numbers of migrants from Russia have made aliyah since the war began.

Jewish Agency figures show 17,000 Russians have taken Israeli citizenship since February and up to 40,000 others were expected to follow.

It compares to just 7,700 Russian Jews making aliyah in the entirety of 2021.

“I believe that we have to make it very clear that it is in the interests of Russia that the Jewish Agency continues to operate,” said Sharansky in an interview with the Israeli broadcaster i24News.

“It is one of the very few international organisations still open in Russia, which gives them contact with all of the Jewish world.”

But he added that Israel should not be blackmailed because Russia is “absolutely isolated after their barbaric attack on Ukraine” and the authorities are “looking for ways to break the Western unity”.

The Russian Ministry of Justice applied to a local court last week to liquidate the Jewish Agency’s assets, arguing its activities violated Russian law.

One Jewish Agency official said officials had accused it of violating privacy laws by collecting the personal information of people interested in relocating to Israel.

But Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, sought to play down the row by saying there was “no need to politicise this situation and project it onto the entire range of Russian-Israeli relations.”

“It’s necessary to take a careful approach here, but also to realise that all organisations must comply with Russian law,” he added.

Lapid said last week: “The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected with Israel. Its importance arises in every diplomatic discussion with the Russian leadership.

“We will continue to act through diplomatic channels so that the Jewish Agency’s important activity will not cease.”