Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday evening, the Israeli prime minister’s press office reported.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the conversation lasted more than an hour and “was devoted to ways to end hostilities in Ukraine and the efforts that Israel is making in this matter.”
In a tweet, Zelensky wrote: “We talked about Russian aggression and the prospects for peace talks. It is necessary to stop repressions against civilians: they are asking for assistance in releasing the mayor of Melitopol and local public figures from captivity.”
The call came after Zelenskiy had previously said he had offered Bennett to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia in Jerusalem and said Israel could play an “important role” in efforts to end the war.
Channel 12, citing unnamed sources in the Israeli government, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering the proposal, but “it is premature to assess its chances.”
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The two leaders have spoken several times since Moscow’s troops invaded the country. Bennett also spoke to Putin several times and traveled to the Kremlin last Saturday to meet with him, becoming the first leader to do so since the start of the Russian invasion.
Continuation of the dialogue with ????????? EVENINGS @naftalibennett. We talked about Russian aggression and the prospects for peace talks. It is necessary to stop repressions against civilians: they ask for assistance in the release of the captive mayor of Melitopol and local public figures #StopRussia
— Vladimir Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) March 12, 2022
The details of Israel’s mediation efforts remain unclear. On Saturday, Zelenskiy’s top adviser dismissed reports that Israel had pushed the Ukrainian leader to accept Putin’s proposal that would see Kyiv make significant concessions to end the Russian invasion.
Israeli officials indicated that Jerusalem did not take a stand or put forward a proposal for a ceasefire. Rather, they argue that Bennett’s role was to clarify the positions of the parties to each other and to other global players due to Israel’s good relations with both countries.
Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukrainian immigrants were among the founders of Israel “who brought with them their history and their desire to build the great country it is today.” So it’s not bad for us to have such mediation.”
“In general, we support any mediation,” he said in response to a question about Israel’s potential role posed by a Haaretz reporter. “But I wouldn’t call Prime Minister Bennett ‘someone’. You can play an important role because Israel is a country with a rich history.”
Zelenskiy said he told Bennett he did not believe negotiations could take place in Russia, Ukraine or Belarus. “These are not the places where we can come to any agreements to end the war – I’m not talking about technical meetings, but meetings of leaders. I believe that such a place can be Israel, especially Jerusalem. I think so, and I said that to Bennett.
There have been many clear ups and downs in Kyiv’s relations with Jerusalem in recent days, with Ukraine at times praising Israel’s diplomatic and humanitarian efforts and at times scathingly criticizing its unwillingness to help more.
A fresh example of this came on Saturday, when Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned that Israel’s lack of a clear stance against Russia’s invasion could cloud relations between Kiev and Jerusalem in the coming years.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov arrives for talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in the Brest region of Belarus on March 3, 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Maxim Guchek/Belta/AFP)
“Israel is showing an inexplicable alienation and unwillingness to choose sides in the war in Ukraine,” he said in a video posted on social media.
“This will cause growing distrust for years to come because we will win without a doubt with or without you,” he said.
“What can you do? You are very influential in the world and in your region,” he added. “You could express your position more actively.”
The Bennett-Zelensky call also came when the Ukrainian embassy in Israel took the High Court against Israel’s policy of restricting the entry of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion, arguing that the move violates international agreements between the countries as well as international conventions to which Israel is a party, and was not done with the proper authority.
Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk during a press conference in Tel Aviv, March 7, 2022 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Israel has long had good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and is keen to use its position to reach an agreement as it also attempts to walk a tightrope by maintaining its ties with both countries. But his relationship with Kiev became strained as Bennett avoided directly blaming Russia for the war, although Foreign Minister Yair Lapid did.
Ukraine has repeatedly demanded more support from Israel since Russia launched its invasion. But Israel has sought to avoid antagonism with Russia, which has a strong presence in Syria, where Israel is fighting against Iranian-linked groups.
According to a Channel 12 report on Friday, Israel has begun considering Ukrainian requests for some protective gear, such as helmets and body armor.
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