Israel and Ukraine:
Israel PM Bennett Offered Himself as a Negotiator Between Ukraine Leader Zelensky and Russian President Putin: Like the rest of the world, the war in Ukraine has taken over most of the public agenda in Israel. All the mainstream media cover the war intensively with many correspondents in countries around Ukraine.
Diplomacy: Israeli PM Bennett spoke with Russian President Putin and tried to offer himself as a negotiator, due to the fact that Israel keeps warm and open channels of communication with Moscow. Bennett also spoke to Ukrainian leader Zelensky, who asked in return for military help, and was turned down.
Israel tried not to take a stand and stay neutral only to keep its’ open channel with Moscow, in order to be able to safeguard its interest to act freely in Syria against Iranian targets. But, eventually Israel voted with the rest of the western world together with the USA and against Russian aggression. Many Israelis expressed their support for Ukraine and their resentment with Putin’s invasion.
Humanitarian: Israel continues to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Refugees: Israeli diplomats and other humanitarian organizations are doing all they can to help Israeli citizens flee from Ukraine. Israel agreed to accept Jews who want to immigrate to Israel according to the Law of Return that gives immediate citizenship, and applies to Jews and their nuclear family members. Israel has denied refuge so far to non-Jewish Ukrainians.
Babi Yar: Earlier this week there was a report that Russian forces targeted the memorial site of Babi Yar in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The memorial marks the massacre of 50,000 Jews and 100,000 other people by the Nazis in 1941 and buried all of them in a mass grave. Many expressed their shock with the report, and accused Russia of violating the memory of the Holocaust. Latest reports by Israeli correspondents state that the site was not targeted and the memorial was not damaged.
Head of Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Memorial Institute in Jerusalem, Asked US Not to Sanction Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich, After He Made a Donation to the Institute: Roman Abramovich, is a Russian oligarch and one of Putins allies, who moved to Israel a few years ago. Abramovich owns the leading British soccer team Chelsea F.C., and in the last few days he announced that he wants to sell the team. Abramovich is scared that all his assets will be confiscated by the international community, and is trying to limit the damage by selling the team. His fortune is estimated to be more than US$15 billion. He immigrated to Israel in 2018 after his visa for the UK expired. He was granted Israeli citizenship as a Jew according to the law of return, and lives in Israel since then.
Recently he made a donation to Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial museum and a few days later the institution was advocating on his behalf in the US to ask that his assets not be confiscated. This move drew a lot of criticism.
Germany chancellor Olaf Schultz in first visit to Israel since he was elected in December 2021: Schultz visited the Yad Vashem holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem and then held a private meeting with PM Bennett, to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, the war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a joint press conference held after the meeting, Schultz reiterated the importance of continuing the negotiations towards a deal with Iran, as well as the unanimous commitment to protect Israel from any Iranian nuclear threat, which presents a threat to peace.
Bennett said that Israel is following the Vienna talks with concern, and that there is a shared responsibility to ensure that Iran will not have access to nuclear weapons. Schultz also spoke of NATO’S position vis-à-vis the war in Ukraine and stated that NATO will not engage in military action, since it is the wrong thing to do in the current situation.
Chancellor Schultz cut his trip short, because of the war in Ukraine, and canceled his planned visit to Jordan and the Palestinian Authority yet he addressed the issue of the Israeli Palestinian conflict at the press conference. Schultz observed that in recent months Israel has taken steps to improve the lives of the Palestinians, and stipulated that to avoid escalation in the conflict, progress must be achieved, although there are no concrete peace talks taking place now. Schultz added that the two states for two people is a negotiation-based solution, but that these issues should be discussed in the future. and that the two state solution (TSS) requires negotiations
4. Israel's High Court Issues Dramatic Decision on Palestinian Property Rights in Sheikh Jarrah: Another interesting twist in the decades-long public and legal battle over ownership rights and against the eviction of Palestinian families from homes in Sheikh Jarrah. A bench of three justices issued a verdict this week, stipulating that imminent eviction notices against the four families are to be withheld, until the ministry of justice resolves any legal issues pertaining to the ownership of the properties. Until then, according to the court ruling, the Palestinian families will deposit a symbolic rent of $740 per annum to the Jewish current owner. In practical terms, this means that the eviction may take effect in several years, or not at all. According to some expert journalists who follow the issue closely, the decision may also affect other Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and in Silwan and may derail the master plan of right-wing elements to establish a new Jewish neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah. These experts also deemed the court ruling a landmark achievement for the Palestinian plaintiffs, because two of the justices who sit on the bench agreed to hear their claims for ownership.
5. Bennett Meets with Reform and Conservative Leaders to Discuss the Kotel (Western Wall) Deal: the meeting, held earlier this week, between PM Bennett and leaders of US non-Orthodox Jewish congregations, was the first in five years. The prolonged disconnect came after former PM Netanyahu backed out of the Kotel outline in July 2017, because of pressure from Ultra-Orthodox parties, then members of the governing coalition. The leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements present at the meeting were reassured that the deal was still on the table. PM Bennett also promised to move ahead with the plan to expand and redesign the space currently designated for egalitarian prayer at the southern end of the Western Wall. Bennet also promised to take firmer action against those who attempt to disrupt egalitarian prayers at the south-end plaza. Also present at the meeting were MK Gilad Kariv of the Labor party, a reform Rabbi, and MK Alon Tal of the Kahol-Lavan party, and an active member of the Conservative movement in Israel.
For further reading:
Israel and Ukraine: Here, here, here, here, here
Roman Abramovich: here, here, here, here, here, here
Schultz’ visit: Here, here, here