Israel’s prime minister traveled to Moscow and met for three hours with Vladimir Putin. He then spoke to Zelensky and went to Berlin to brief his German counterpart. Naphtali Bennett traveled on the Jewish Shabbat, despite being perhaps the first fully observant head of government of Israel, and the reason has to do with the acceptance of the violation of the precept, when the goal is to save lives.
Mediation had been requested by Ukraine on the second day of the invasion. But why was requested?
The Ukrainian president´s request was not because of his Judaism, but because Israel and Russia, despite having been on opposite sides, had developed a very rational relationship in Syria. Thus, Israel had understood the Russian reasons and Moscow had responded by accepting the military attacks on the Iranian presence in that territory and its transfer of arms to groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. That rationality was expressed in the fact that the two countries never clashed, and they had a very good personal relationship, including frequent visits by Netanyahu to Putin.
Although this fact was presented as an example that Putin understood the strategic needs of other countries and could negotiate with him, tampoco was a policy forever. Thus, before mobilizing its troops to Ukraine, Russia had rarely used state-of-the-art radars to alert of Israeli aircraft, and everything seems to indicate that Bennett arranged it directly with the Kremlin boss.
This explains why Israel has taken a soft approach to the conflict, wants to take advantage of its position to mediate, and although it rejects the invasion, it has not joined the categorical and unnuanced condemnation of Russia, Putin and Russian citizens in general. The reason is not only the number of Israelis who have a Russian or Soviet origin (also Ukrainians), but that he wants to maintain the current level of relations with Moscow, considering it a relevant actor in the area, and important to limit the Iranian presence in Syria. For its part, perhaps Russia had in mind what has been said, and wants to convey the message that this attitude suits it more than the current position of countries such as France and Germany, which until recently fulfilled similar roles towards the United States.
Moreover, at the time of writing, Israel has not directly delivered weapons to Ukraine, and those that have appeared, have been the ones sold to countries such as Germany or the Netherlands and delivered by them, from their arsenals.
Israel seemed to express that it understood historical complexities that sometimes recalled those of the Middle East, that it had heard Putin say that it expected a pending negotiation since the late 80s, arguing that there was a debt to Russia as successor to the former Soviet Union, like what Gorbachev said about promises that were not kept, which has been denied by Washington.
In any case, there is no doubt that Putin made the worst mistake of his life, since, even if he wins, he will lose because of the total change of image he has suffered. The invasion clearly violated international law (not unlike what Saddam did with Kuwait), as well as lying about it. Finally, it has lost the battle of narratives, which includes the emergence of a leader who quickly achieved international notoriety and great domestic support, as is the case with Volodomir Zelensky.
Even if military action was being prepared since 2014 and the deposition of the then president close to Russia Viktor Yanukovych, there is no doubt that the reaction must have exceeded what Moscow anticipated.
Perhaps Putin did not expect the rejection to be so forceful, not only between governments, but also from the bottom up, a condemnation that included social networks, the media, various NGOs of Human rights, the initiation of an investigation in the International Criminal Court; and totally unexpected, Russia´s mistake generated a renaissance of both the European Union and NATO. Even FIFA had joined the boycott.
It is not a minor fact that Switzerland has renounced a neutrality that exceeds the bicentennial. Nor that Germany has put an end to a pacifist attitude whose origin was the defeat in the Second World War.
And undoubtedly the most unexpected, that in Europe and the United States appeared an attitude of cancellation to everything that seems Russian. Roman Abramovich, also an Israeli citizen, has been forced to put the Chelsea club up for sale, but it is not only aimed at oligarchs, but also – and that is the novelty – at athletes, musicians such as the director of the Munich Philharmonic, and a long etcetera. Perhaps unfair to simple citizens who may be innocent, but also many companies have retired, so the economic suffering goes far beyond the banking Swift.
In its magnitude it is something new, which surpasses everything known in the developed world. I also believe that it is here to stay, and can be transformed into the new normal for conflicts, new or old. It has been legitimized that it is addressed not only against governments, but to whole countries.
And what does Israel have to do with it? I think a lot, and I fear that, if a new version of the war with Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran comes around, Israel may be the object of this kind of boycott and antagonistic non-military forces. Just keep in mind what happened in cities of the United States, Canada and Europe during the last conflict in Gaza and the terrible resurgence of anti-Semitism at all levels, including aggression in the streets.
What is the risk to Israel?
Not every mediation ends in a Nobel Peace Prize, being rather an exception. On the other hand, the risk is that the legitimacy that the boycott of Russia and its citizens has achieved may turn against Israel, if – as it is likely – it goes wrong and is unsuccessful. In fact, for days there have been voices calling on social networks for something like the Russian boycott, but against Israel.
Since its creation, Israel has suffered with Muslim countries and international organizations, but now it has entered unknown territory, since for some time, and increasingly in universities, media, political parties and human rights movements in the United States and Western Europe, very bad feelings against the Jewish state have taken deep roots, and Israel has been very inefficient to anticipate and has reacted belatedly.
Hopefully it won’t happen, but the only recommendation is to be prepared.
«Las opiniones aquí publicadas son responsabilidad absoluta de su autor».
