Yair Lapid today (Sunday) instructed the Foreign Ministry personnel to prepare ‘price tag’ operations if the Russian court determines that the activities of the Jewish Agency in Russia should be closed.
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During the discussion held by Lapid, the ministers involved and the professional ranks agreed that the background to the crisis with Russia surrounding the activities of the Jewish Agency is not legal – but political.
According to Yaron Avraham’s report on News 12, confidentiality was imposed on the discussion, but as part of the discussion it was decided to move forward on two parallel axes to resolve the crisis:
• Wait for the Russian agreement to send the delegation of Israeli jurists to Russia – that is, to play the Russian game, which says that the dispute is on a legal basis. However, the legal delegation that was supposed to fly to Russia today, has not yet left, because the Russians have not yet approved them to receive visas.
• To prepare a basket of possible responses if the Russian court determines next Thursday that the activities of the Jewish Agency in the country must be closed. If he so decides, Israel will act in a policy of aggression – and not a policy of expansion.
According to the report, among the measures being considered: another delay on Israel’s part of the transfer of ownership of the ‘Alexander Yard’ in Jerusalem, a property that Putin wants very much and Israel has stated that it agrees to its transfer – a procedure that has stalled in the Jerusalem District Court.
Other options that have come up are related to the war in Ukraine, perhaps more harsh statements that Israel has avoided recently or diplomatic actions or even moves that were not made in Ukraine’s favor.
Another step considered, although not mentioned in today’s discussion, is the return of Israel’s ambassador to Russia to Israel for consultations.
In addition, during the discussion the question arose, as in the Naama Issachar case: what does Putin want and what is he signaling? No one knows for sure.
The possibilities that came up in the discussion are that Putin is really angry about the delay of the procedure regarding the “Alexander Court” or that there is a “price tag” for Lapid’s statements regarding Ukraine before he entered the Prime Minister’s Office, as Foreign Minister.
It is also possible that this is a ‘price tag’ on military activity, perhaps on the scope of the IDF’s military activity in Syria.
This morning, Lapid said, during the discussion on the activities of the Jewish Agency in Russia, that relations with Russia are important to Israel, but he threatened: “The closure of the agency’s offices will be a serious event, which will affect relations.”