Ukraine Envoy: Mediation by Israel’s Naftali Bennett Worth More than Weapons

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel expressed his appreciation for Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s ongoing mediation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying his efforts were “priceless” and “worth more than weapons.”

Yevgen Korniychuk seemed to walk back earlier comments in which he criticized Israel for not sending Ukraine military aid. He added that Kyiv regards Jerusalem as a potential host for a Russia-Ukraine summit.

“Thank you for the peace effort; this is priceless for us,” Korniychuk said on Monday.

“This is much more important than sales of weapons and of munitions, which we are still fighting for but we understand [your reasons for not sending them].”

“Our government sees Jerusalem as a possible location for negotiations with Russia,” he added.

Bennett on Saturday made a lightening trip to Moscow and Berlin to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz respectively, saying Israel had a “moral duty” to do everything in its power to bring an end to the human suffering in Ukraine.

The Israeli premier also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky three times in a 24-hour period.

He added there are thousands of Israelis stuck in Ukraine as well as Jewish communities “in distress.”

Israel was preparing for a massive wave of immigration from eligible Ukrainians, Bennett said. Some 200,000 Ukrainians are eligible to immigrate to Israel. Some 400 arrived on Sunday.

“This is a challenge for the State of Israel, but it is a challenge that we withstood in the past, time after time,” he said. “Moments like this, in which the world is facing an upheaval and Jews are no longer safe where they are, remind all of us how important it is that there is a home for Jews, whoever they are, and how important it is that we have the State of Israel.”

Israel is one of few Western democracies that is an ally of both Russia and Ukraine and has been cautious about taking sides since Moscow’s invasion. Russia also has heavy military presence in Syria and controls its skies and as such, Jerusalem coordinates all military strikes on Iranian targets in Syria with Moscow.

While Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned Russia’s invasion as a “breach of the international order,” the country has stopped short of offering military assistance or directly condemning Russia.

More than 1.5 million Israeli citizens are from Russia and In addition, both Ukraine and Russia have large Jewish communities and Israel sees itself as a protector of Jews in the Diaspora.

Korniychuk also commented on Bennett’s choice to fly to Moscow on Sabbath, in contradiction to the laws of the holy day which forbid air travel. However, desecrating the Sabbath is permitted if lives are at stake.

“We are not sure if [that talks were] helpful or not, but the fact that the prime minister left the country during Shabbat to talk peace is unprecedented,” Korniychuk said.

He added that Ukraine would continue to request that Israel send weaponry and protective gear.

The ambassador called on Israelis with relatives in Russia to expose the truth about the war, and not what they are fed in the censored news they receive.

“To the Russians: What did we do to you for our men to be killed and women to be raped? We are fighting for our independence,” he said.

Korniychuk thanked Israel for setting up a field hospital in Ukraine as well as its shipment with 100 tons of humanitarian aid sent last week.

“We are very deeply impressed by the level of the response of the Israeli people. For the last two weeks, day and night, they are coming to the Ukraine Cultural Center [in Tel Aviv] and bringing whatever they can in order to support the Ukrainians,” he said.