A Russian Foreign Ministry statement accused Lapidz of “anti-Russian aggression” in his comments following last week’s General Assembly vote, which marked only the second time a country had been stripped of its council membership. “There is an effort to take advantage of the situation around Ukraine to divert the attention of the international community from one of the longest-running unresolved conflicts – the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the ministry said. The statement went on to accuse Israel of “illegal occupation and creeping annexation of Palestinian territories.” It also dropped the blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which Israel says is necessary to prevent terrorist groups from gaining access to the enclave. “It is also noteworthy that μεγαλύτερη the greatest occupation in post-war world history takes place with the tacit consultation of the leading Western countries and the genuine support of the United States,” the statement said. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms It was unclear what Lapid – who blamed Russia for war crimes in Ukraine – said after the April 7 vote to anger Moscow. A statement from the Foreign Ministry at the time denounced the “unwarranted invasion” of Ukraine and accused Russian forces of “killing innocent civilians”. The statement said Lapid said there was no change in Israel’s attitude towards the Human Rights Council, which Jerusalem claims has a bias against Israel, without referring to Russia or its invasion of Ukraine. There was no response from Lapid or the Foreign Ministry to the Russian statement. Nadiya Trubchaninova, 70, sits next to a plastic bag containing the body of her son Vadym Trubchaninov, 48, who was killed by Russian soldiers in Bucha on March 30, on the outskirts of Kiev, Ukraine, on April 12, 2022. ( AP Photo / Rodrigo Abd) Israel has avoided aligning too closely with either side since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. It is one of the few countries that maintains relatively warm relations with both Ukraine, a compatriot Western democracy, and Russia, which controls airspace over Syria. that Israel is working to target Iranian proxies. However, after angering the Biden government by refusing to support the first UN Security Council resolution against Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Israel has since joined the West, condemning Russia in a number of UN resolutions. Jerusalem has also moved slowly towards the West’s position against Russia more broadly, although there has been an assignment of responsibility between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who until recently sought to mediate between the parties and largely avoided criticizing Russia, and Lapid , who was much louder in his criticism. Both men condemned the Bucha massacre, but only Lapid blamed Russia. We tell a critical story Israel is now a much more important player on the world stage than its size suggests. As a Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, I am well aware that Israel’s security, strategy and national interests are always under scrutiny and have serious implications. It takes balance, determination and knowledge to accurately convey the history of Israel, and I come to work every day with the goal of doing it to the fullest. Financial support from readers like you allows me to travel to watch the war (I just returned from reporting on Ukraine) and sign historic agreements. And it enables the Times of Israel to remain the place where readers around the world turn for accurate news about Israel’s relationship with the world. If it is important for you to have and thrive on independent, fact-based coverage of Israel’s role in the world, I urge you to support our work. Will you be joining the Times of Israel today? Thank you, Lazar Berman, Diplomatic Correspondent Yes, I will give Yes, I will give Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it
