Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said today that his efforts to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine war were a “moral duty” despite the slim chance of success.
Bennett made the remarks during a weekly meeting of members of his government in Jerusalem, hours after meeting in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, a trip to Berlin and phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Even if there is little chance of success, as long as there is an open mind and we have access to both sides and the ability (to act), I consider it a moral duty to try everything,” he said.
“As long as there is hope, we must make efforts and there may still be time for action,” he added.
Bennett added that he would not give further details about the talks with the two warlords.
The Israeli prime minister flew to Moscow on Saturday where he met with Putin for “about three hours” as it became known. It was the first visit to Russia by a foreign leader linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
He then spoke on the phone with Zelensky before traveling to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Solz.
The Israeli prime minister’s office announced this morning that Bennett had spoken three times in the last 24 hours with Zelensky, a Jew who says he has a family in Israel.
Recently, the latter had posted a message on Hebrew on social media calling on Jews around the world to mobilize against the Russian invasion. He also reprimanded Mr. Bennett for his inaction, which he avoided condemning the Russian invasion, stressing the strong ties that unite Israel with Moscow and Kyiv.
Bennett, a devout Jew, does not perform official services on the Sabbath, the Jewish weekly day of rest on Saturday, except in exceptional circumstances.
According to the prime minister’s office, Israel is preparing for “a big wave of immigration.”
Interior Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa Ayelet Saked said 2,034 Ukrainian refugees have been admitted to Israel since February 24, but that there may be “more than 10,000 new migrants from Russia and Ukraine.”
About 300 new migrants from Ukraine via European countries are expected to arrive in Israel this Sunday, along with about 100 Jewish children from a Ukrainian orphanage sent to Romania on Wednesday.
Source: Capital
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