Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately after his new government was sworn in, according to The Times of Israel.
In his message to Netanyahu, published by the Kremlin, Putin said,
“I hope that the new government under your leadership will continue the line of strengthening Russian-Israeli cooperation in all areas for the benefit of our peoples, in the interest of ensuring peace and security in the Middle East.
“In Russia, we greatly appreciate your personal and long-standing contribution to strengthening friendly relations between our countries.”
Ukraine's Zelensky in a similar message tweeted, “I wish success on the way to the welfare and security of Israel. I confirm Ukraine’s readiness for close cooperation to strengthen our ties and confront common challenges, achieve prosperity and victory over evil.”
During his previous terms in office, Netanyahu spoke much about his good friendship with Putin and insisted that it was essential to maintain the IDF's capacity to operate freely over Syria from the Russian-controlled airspace to stop Iranian forces from securing a foothold on Israel's northern border.
When Jerusalem took a few limited actions to support Ukraine after the invasion by Russian soldiers last February, Netanyahu initially criticized the previous government for neglecting Israel's relations with Russia.
Netanyahu, though, has recently changed his position. In an interview conducted ahead of last month's election, he described as " pragmatic, " Ukraine's policy under the Bennett-Lapid government which has seen Israel provide humanitarian aid, run a field hospital in Ukraine, and accept a small number of mainly Jewish refugees while declining to provide Kyiv with the military assistance it requested.
Netanyahu even stated that if he were to return to the position of Prime Minister, he would consider arming Ukraine.
"I think [Putin is] guided by his vision of reconstituting a great Russian realm, and I hope he’s having second thoughts about it,” Netanyahu told USA Today at the time.
Netanyahu also revealed that after the war broke out, he was asked to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. “I said, ‘Well, I think I’ll leave that to the sitting Prime Minister to decide.”
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's attempts to mediate between Putin and Zelensky failed after several weeks of visiting Moscow and speaking with both leaders over the phone.
Bennett ultimately abandoned the project because of a lack of progress to concentrate on the political unrest at home.
Netanyahu said in an interview in October that the mediation offer "presumably would come up again” if he is returned to power.
While Zelensky was addressing a joint session of the US Congress and pleading for greater American assistance to thwart the Russian invasion, Netanyahu and Putin spoke last week in a congratulatory call that the Israeli Prime Minister agreed to take.
Netanyahu will once more choose whether to uphold Jerusalem's delicate balancing act between the two warring nations having returned as Israel's Prime Minister.
Politics and Opinion.
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