The Israeli authorities took great care, in moving their embassy in Ukraine from Kiev to Lviv on Tuesday February 22, to give their new address to Russia. The offensive launched by Moscow on the country puts Israel in a delicate position, caught between allegiance to its American protector and its cultural and strategic proximity to Moscow.
After several days of hesitation, Thursday’s statements finally targeted Russia directly. “The Russian offensive is a serious violation of the international ordersaid Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. and Israel condemns it. » Again on Wednesday, after hours of deliberation at the highest levels of the Israeli government, Israel was content to assure “to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine”. On February 20, Mr. Lapid had argued the obvious, insisting that in the event of a direct conflict between the United States and Russia, the country was “Traditionally, of course, on the American side”. But he qualified his remarks by pointing to the geostrategic reality: “Our border with Syria is effectively a border with Russia. »
Break with its traditional neutrality
The offensive pushed him to line up clearly on the western side. Yet Israel intended to spare Moscow. The Israeli government even blocked the sale of the powerful Iron Dome anti-missile shield to Ukraine in the spring, and this while Kiev seemed ready to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
This break with its tradition of neutrality “is primarily due to the change in leadership”, explains Ksenia Svetlova, former Israeli MP from the Russian-speaking community and specialist in the Middle East. The current government is seeking to break with the policy of Binyamin Netanyahu: in 2014, the Israeli refusal to condemn the annexation of Crimea had offended Washington and the administration of Barack Obama, some of whose executives now work for that of Joe Biden.
The Jewish state has a lot to lose, starting with its leeway in Syria, where it regularly strikes positions it accuses of being affiliated with Iran or Hezbollah. This “campaign between the wars” is based on a fragile equation: Russia, an ally of Damascus, ignores Israeli attacks on condition that they do not approach its forces. Before each exit, the Israelis warn the Russians to avoid the incident. For the Israeli general staff, which does not confirm the attacks, this status quo is crucial to limit the development of the military capacities of its enemies on its northern front.
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