In refusing to back Ukraine, did Bibi gain points with Putin?

The new Russia-Hamas axis on display as a delegation from the terror group meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (2nd right) after the outbreak of war

“N

etanyahu. Another league.” That was the caption on a giant Likud campaign poster depicting Israel’s prime minister shaking hands with world leaders, among them Russian president Vladimir Putin.

That was back in 2019. Fast-forward to late 2023, and Bibi and Putin may still be in the same league — but now it’s clear they play on opposing teams.

The clearest evidence of this fractured relationship was Hamas’s decision to prioritize the release of Russian-Israeli dual citizens kidnapped on October 7, as an expression of gratitude “for the supportive position for the Palestinian cause.”

Senior Hamas representative Mousa Abu Marzook told Reuters, “We received a list of citizens that have dual [Russian-Israeli] citizenship. We are looking for those people... And when we find them, we will let them go. We are very attentive to this list and we will handle it carefully because we look at Russia as our closest friend.”

Notably, hostage Roni Krivoy’s release by the terror group came about not as part of an agreement with Israel but as a result of Russian government mediation.

“Hamas is interested in freeing the Russians because Russia supports Hamas, and what Hamas seeks is international legitimacy,” explains Arkady Mil-Man, Israel’s former ambassador to Moscow. “Russia, on the other hand, has a real interest in the war continuing here and in causing disasters. Why? Because since October 7, the world has been focused on Gaza and Israel, and it’s as if there is no war in Ukraine. That’s Putin’s aim — to divert attention from Ukraine.”

The Kremlin considers Hamas to be not a terrorist organization but a “political organization,” and in that light, the October 7 attacks present a new opportunity to challenge the United States for regional dominance.

In his initial statement on the massacre, Putin said, “I think many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failed Middle East policy of the United States, which has tried to monopolize the settlement process.”

Russia’s close ties with the Gaza terrorists were confirmed on October 26 when, amid the war, Hamas representatives were received by Putin’s officials in Moscow to discuss what they called “Zionist crimes supported by the United States and the West.”

Putin’s interest in stoking Middle East chaos could extend to support for Hezbollah, if that terrorist organization decides to attack, Mil-Man conjectures.

“If Hezbollah as an organization or Iran decides to go to war against Israel, it is most likely that Russia will support them,” he says.

Iran is Russia’s strategic partner, forming an “axis of evil” with Islamic terrorist organizations, China, and North Korea. Russia’s support of Hamas derives from its strategic ties with Iran.

Falling into the Trap

If Putin’s intention is indeed to shift the focus from the war in Ukraine, the result has been a resounding success. Not only has the world seemingly forgotten Kiev, but the US government appears to have also fallen into the trap. According to private reports, tens of thousands of weapons, artillery, and war systems originally earmarked for Ukraine were redirected to Israel.

Arkady Mil-Man asserts that Israel is paying a high price for not having condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Israel should have denounced Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine and didn’t,” he says. “They decided to abandon the Jews in Ukraine rather than anger the Kremlin. Did neutrality in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine serve Israel? Russia now openly supports Hamas and goes against Israel. So what did Israel accomplish? They abandoned the Jews in Ukraine, and it didn’t help against Russia.

“The true face of Putin has been revealed,” Mil-Man declares. “Russia is not a friend of Israel. There is only one ally: the United States.”

Mil-Man’s acerbity here alludes to Netanyahu’s actions as opposition leader in 2022, when he questioned the Bennett-Lapid government’s decision to take sides in the European conflict. Netanyahu boasted of his ties with Putin, and expressed his concern about dissolving those ties: “I’m worried that what we built over years is being undermined before our eyes.”

Although Mil-Man may be right that Netanyahu’s neutrality came with a price, it is crucial to add two fundamental points for context. First, the Russian Jewish community, around 50,000 people, is vulnerable. Second, Israel has an interest in operating in Syrian airspace with a certain degree of freedom.

Bibi understands that the protection Putin extends to Russia’s Jews could be disrupted on a whim. The whole world saw the images of Muslims from Russia’s Dagestan region swarming over the airport to attack Jews. The Israeli government is undoubtedly aware that the Russian Jewish community’s well-being depends heavily on avoiding conflict with Putin.

Spheres of Influence

The second point is no less significant: Israel has conducted systematic airstrikes in Syria against Iranian targets. The most recent such attack, at Damascus Airport a few days ago, received very limited coverage in the international press, what with the war in Gaza. Such operations would be impossible without the Russians turning a blind eye. These airstrikes are of critical importance in preventing Tehran from building another beachhead adjacent to Israel from which it can launch attacks. Offending the Kremlin could lead to the cancellation of all operations in a geopolitically crucial country for Israeli security. Clearly, Netanyahu believes it is better to endure Putin’s affronts than to lose the substantial military benefits at stake.

But although Russia has an interest in stoking Israel’s war with Hamas to shift international attention away from the war in Ukraine, Putin keenly wants to avoid escalation of the conflict. The reason is simple: Putin has a significant military presence in Syria — in fact, the largest presence away from Russia’s borders — and he does not want to have to defend while the war in Ukraine is still raging. In fact, several clashes between Russians and Israelis have occurred due to various Israeli forces’ operations in Syrian territory, which Russia sees as an intrusion into its sphere of influence.

As Israel’s war on Hamas continues, and we all pray for the safe return of the kidnapped and Jewish soldiers to their homes, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that Putin and Netanyahu can share the same league.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 989)