Israel continues to be torn between Russia and Ukraine, between the United States and Russia and between defending itself against Iranian entrenchment in Russia-backed Syria and a moral commitment to a European democracy.
Normally, Israel’s affiliation with the free, democratic West is beyond doubt, but these are not normal times. While Russian forces are trampling Ukraine, other Russian military units are deployed just beyond Israel’s northern border, potentially risking its ongoing operations to uproot Iran’s military presence in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and twice with Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy, trying to make the best of a horrible situation without much to show for his efforts so far.
