JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Offers Muted Response to Attack on Israel. That Speaks Volumes.” – New York Times
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Vladimir Putin has long projected friendly ties to Israel. But his silence since Saturday’s assault illustrates how the war in Ukraine has strained the relationship between the two countries.
“… [A]mid the worst attack on Israel in 50 years, the high regard … [] Putin has shown for Israel in the past appears remarkably absent. … [with] no message of condolence from the Kremlin, even though [] Putin previously published such notes of sympathy in the wake of terrorist attacks in Israel. And he has not yet called [] Netanyahu, even though he spoke with Israeli leaders at least 11 times in 2022 …. Instead, [] Putin’s spokesman … struck a neutral stance …. On Russian state television and in the pro-Kremlin blogosphere, commentators reacted to the attack on Israel with thinly veiled glee, casting it as a revelation of Western weakness and as the start of a war that could sap Western support for Ukraine. The stark shift sheds light on one consequence of [] Putin’s invasion of Ukraine: the sharp decline in the relationship between Moscow and Israel over the past year and a half, one that some Jewish leaders fear also presages a rise in antisemitism inside Russia. …”