(Bloomberg) — Israel’s opposition leader and contender for next prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, and urged him to reconsider, in his most direct criticism yet of the war.
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Netanyahu said in an interview with USA Today that he thought Putin’s decision to go to war in Ukraine was “guided by his vision of reconstituting a great Russian realm,” adding, “I hope he’s having second thoughts about it.”
“We all have sympathy to Ukraine, it’s not even a question, and I’m no different,” he said.
Israel has sought not to antagonize Russia in the conflict, with ministers pointing to the importance of continuing military coordination over the skies of Syria, as well as Israel’s ties with Russia’s Jewish community. Ukraine has been asking for more Israeli assistance, especially since Russia began purchasing and deploying drones from Iran, an important Israeli regional foe.
Israel has so far resisted calls from the US, Ukraine and others to supply Ukraine with offensive and defensive weapons, and has instead supported Ukraine with humanitarian aid, helmets and flak jackets.
Following public revelations that Russia is using Iranian drones in Ukraine, Israel’s defense minister, Benny Gantz, said Israel is “following Iran’s involvement in the war,” adding that Iran “may also provide additional advanced systems” to Russia in the near future.
Israel’s former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, had attempted to mediate between Russia and Ukraine in the early days of the conflict, and Bennett flew to Moscow to meet with Putin. Bennett’s successor, Yair Lapid, has taken a more critical stance toward the invasion, drawing sharp criticism from Russia.
Netanyahu’s Likud party is leading in the polls ahead of elections on November 1 — Israel’s fifth since 2019 — but it remains unclear if his likely coalition of right wing and religious parties will win the 61 votes necessary to command a majority in parliament.
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