Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya called in a United States Security Council speech on Thursday to impose sanctions on Israel for not adhering to the Council's decision calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan. This follows a series of actions by Russia distancing itself from Israel and its long-standing commitment to the Jewish state's security and right to self-defense.
Iran and Russia's growing military and diplomatic alliance is raising concerns in Jerusalem. Russia's failure to condemn the Iranian attack on Israel (about 350 drones and cruise and ballistic missiles) has caused great disappointment in Israel. It seems that Russia doesn't understand the Israeli perception of Russia and how its actions are prompting a negative image of itself.
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Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Putin
(Photo: Dana Kopel, Photo: Gavriil GRIGOROV / POOL / AFP)
Officials in Jerusalem have been closely monitoring statements coming out of Moscow since October 7 and are concerned about its next steps. Russia has been gradually escalating its responses to the war. Russia did not express sympathy for Israel, refrained from condemning Hamas throughout the war and even hosted Hamas leadership in Russia twice. It gets worse. Israel was shocked at Russia's response to the Iranian attack against it as the Kremlin did not hesitate to align itself with Iran.
It's worth listening carefully to what Putin's allies are saying. Dmitry Rogozin, a senator who has held high-ranking security positions, said that in the event of a major war between Iran and Israel, Iran would defeat Israel. He also said that the Israeli army lacks good soldiers except for Russian-descended troops serving in special units.
Sergey Mardan, a senior commentator for the Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid, told talk show host Vladimir Solovyov in an interview that Russia supports Iran in its confrontation with Israel. According to him, "Iran is our political ally. Iran is one of the few countries that support Russia in our war. We certainly want Iran to win."
Putin condemned the attack in Syria, but not the Iranian attack
Iranian news agency Tasnim published a readout of a phone call between Putin and Iranian President Raisi in which the Iranian leader praised Russia's stance that Tehran's attack was a legitimate measure in defending itself from the "Zionist regime's aggression" against the Iranian consulate in Syria, described as a terrorist act in clear violation of international law, including the Vienna Convention, and a serious threat to global stability.
According to the readout, Putin also condemned the "terrorist act of the Zionist regime" against the consulate of the Islamic Republic, calling it a breach of international law. "The Islamic Republic of Iran's action in response to this criminal act and in light of the inaction of the Security Council was the best way to punish the aggressor and express the wisdom and rationality of Iran's leaders."
Putin also spared no criticism of Western countries regarding the tensions in the Middle East. "We are confident that the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the main pillars of stability and security in the region," said Putin. The Kremlin reported that in a conversation with Raisi, Putin expressed hope that all parties would show reasonable restraint and prevent a new round of confrontation, which would have catastrophic consequences for the entire region.
Last week, Russian National Security Adviser Nikolai Patrushev called his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi and called for restraint regarding Iran and the escalation in the Middle East. In the Russian statement, Patrushev called for restraint from all parties to prevent another escalation of the conflict. Hanegbi emphasized the severity of the Iranian aggression and the world's obligation to condemn it.