Israel issued a first public statement on Wednesday afternoon regarding the Ukraine-Russia situation. The announcement supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“Israel shares the concern of the international community regarding the steps taken in eastern Ukraine and the serious escalation in the situation. Israel hopes for a diplomatic solution which will lead to calm, and is willing to help if asked,” said Foreign Ministry statement.
Israel also reiterated its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while expressing worry for Israeli citizens and the Jewish community in the afflicted regions.
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Ukrainian diplomats had earlier stated that they were still waiting for Israel’s response to the US and European nations’ strong condemnation of Russia’s troop movement into Luhansk and Donetsk. “All we can hope for is that they will do something similar to our Western allies,” They said.
The Israeli statement made no reference to Russia by name. “Israel is ready and willing to immediately transfer humanitarian assistance to Ukraine according to its needs and is in contact with the Ukrainian authorities regarding the matter,” the statement said. “Israel is continuing to engage in dialogue with its partners on ways to get the diplomatic efforts back on track.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett first pressed his cabinet to maintain strict public neutrality about the current developments in eastern Ukraine, releasing a set of talking points to which ministers were required to adhere sparingly.
However, on Monday, senior Israeli officials stated that if the Ukraine issue devolved into a diplomatic and economic confrontation between Washington and Moscow, Israel would support the US.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was the only senior cabinet member to offer a more nuanced reaction — one that may raise eyebrows in Washington.
When asked Sunday evening by Channel 12 about the possibility of Israel joining US sanctions against Russia, Lapid responded that while “traditionally, of course, we go with the Americans,” Jerusalem must exercise greater caution in the current crisis due to the large Jewish communities in Russia and Ukraine. “Our border with Syria is, in everything but name, a border with Russia,” he said.
Lapid directed all embassy workers to evacuate on Thursday, citing fears of a full-scale Russian attack targeting the Ukrainian capital. Israeli diplomats are nearing the completion of arrangements for a possible air or land evacuation of up to 200,000 Ukrainian Jews.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden issued severe financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs, ratcheting up the West’s battle with Moscow, even as the Russian parliament approved President Vladimir Putin to employ military force outside the country.
Biden joined the 27 European Union’s member states agreed to impose their own initial set of penalties against Russian officials for their activities in Ukraine.
Germany stated that it will pause the certification process for Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline — a lucrative project that Moscow has long desired but has been condemned by the US for increasing Europe’s dependency on Russian energy.
