The Times of Israel liveblogged Tuesday’s events as they unfolded.

Israel breaks silence on Ukraine, expressing concern, avoids mentioning ‘Russia’

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speak during their meeting in Sochi, Russia, on October 22, 2021. (Evgeny Biyatov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speak during their meeting in Sochi, Russia, on October 22, 2021. (Evgeny Biyatov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Israel has broken its diplomatic silence held since Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the separatist republics in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, which sparked an international outcry.

Being one of only a few countries to maintain close relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Israel has sought to avoid aligning itself too closely with either side, despite Putin’s threats to invade a sovereign country. The stance has angered Ukraine, which says it expected more solidarity from Israel during its time of need.

But Putin’s Monday announcement on Ukraine ultimately left Israel with no choice.

“Israel shares the concern of the international community regarding the steps taken in eastern Ukraine and the serious escalation in the situation,” the Foreign Ministry says in a statement, which carefully avoids mentioning either “Putin” or even “Russia.”

“Israel hopes for a diplomatic solution which will lead to calm, and is willing to help if asked,” the Foreign Ministry adds.

“Israel supports the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine,” it continues. “Israel is concerned about the welfare of thousands of Israeli citizens living in Ukraine and the welfare of the large Jewish community in the country.”

“Israel is ready and willing to immediately transfer humanitarian assistance to Ukraine according to its needs and is in contact with the Ukrainian authorities,” the statement concludes.

Biden announces sanctions in response to ‘beginning of Russian invasion of Ukraine’

US President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House about Russian military activity near Ukraine on February 22, 2022, in Washington, DC (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
US President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House about Russian military activity near Ukraine on February 22, 2022, in Washington, DC (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Joe Biden announces a “first tranche” of sanctions against Russia for what he calls “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Speaking from the White House, Biden says Russian President Vladimir Putin is “setting up a rationale to go much further.”

He warns that, “If Russia goes further with this invasion we stand prepared to go further with sanctions.”

“Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law,” Biden adds. “None of us will be fooled” by Putin’s claims of Ukrainian aggression.

“I’m announcing the first tranche of sanctions to impose costs on Russia in response to their actions,” he says.

“We’re implementing sanctions on Russia’s sovereign debt. That means we’ve cut off Russia’s government from Western financing,” Biden says. The measures also will target financial institutions and Russian “elites.”

US President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House about Russian military activity near Ukraine, on February 22, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)

He also says he has “authorized additional movements of US forces” to NATO allies in Baltics in response to Russia’s moves. “Let me be clear, these are totally defensive moves on our part.”

The US leader says there is “still time” for diplomacy and to “avert the worst-case scenario” of a bloody full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine “that will bring untold suffering to millions of people.”

“There’s no question that Russia is the aggressor, so we’re clear-eyed about the challenges we’re facing,” he says.

Army says 14-year-old Palestinian who hurled firebomb shot dead near Bethlehem

A 14-year-old Palestinian has been shot dead by Israeli military forces near Khadr, close to Bethlehem. The military says he was hurling a Molotov cocktail when he was shot.

The Israel Defense Forces says troops identified three Palestinian suspects arriving at a spot from which Israeli drivers have been repeatedly attacked with firebombs recently.

“The troops fired at one of the suspects while he threw a Molotov cocktail and hit him,” the IDF says.

Troops provided him with medical treatment at the scene, but he died of his injuries.

Palestinians identify him as Mohammad Shahada, 14.

File: Israeli soldiers clash with Palestinians in Bethlehem, on February 6, 2020. (Musa Al Shaer/AFP)

Police gather at Amsterdam Apple Store as armed person said holding hostage inside

Armed police gather outside the Apple Store in Amsterdam amid reports that an armed assailant in the store is holding a hostage there.

Amsterdam police say in a tweet that “somebody with a firearm is in the store, police are at the location with many (specialized) units to bring the situation under control.”

The tweet does not identify the location as the Apple Store, but images and films on social media appear to show an armed person in the store, apparently holding somebody else.

https://twitter.com/Widedo2/status/1496172663479451662

Local broadcaster AT5 suggests that the standoff was the result of an attempted armed robbery.

Further details are not immediately available.

IDF to test warning sirens in two towns tomorrow

The Israel Defense Forces announces it will hold a test of the siren systems and emergency preparedness in the West Bank settlement of Efrat and the central town of Elyakhin tomorrow.

The sirens will sound in Efrat at 12:05 p.m., and in Elyakhin at 6:05 p.m.

Residents of the area are asked to enter bomb shelters when they hear the sirens and to ensure that their shelters are well-stocked for an emergency.

In the case of an actual attack, the sirens will sound twice, the military says.

Russia says it will evacuate diplomats from Ukraine soon

Russia says it will soon evacuate its diplomatic staff from Ukraine to “protect their lives,” after lawmakers allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to use force abroad.

“To protect the lives and safety [of diplomats], the Russian leadership decided to evacuate the personnel of Russian foreign missions in Ukraine, which will be implemented in the near future,” Moscow’s foreign ministry says in a statement.

EU ministers unanimously agree on new sanctions against Russia

Foreign ministers of EU countries have unanimously agreed on new sanctions against Russia over its recognition of breakaway regions in Ukraine’s east and deployment of troops there, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says.

In this file photo taken on September 10, 2021, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian attends a meeting in Budapest, Hungary (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP)

“We also unanimously agreed on an initial sanctions package,” Le Drian tells reporters after the Paris meeting of top diplomats, accusing Russia of “violating international law” and “breaching its commitments.”

Putin says Ukraine internal peace agreement ‘does not exist’ anymore

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Western-brokered peace agreements seeking to end a conflict in eastern Ukraine no longer exist, after he recognized the independence of the ex-Soviet country’s separatist regions.

“The Minsk agreements do not exist now, we recognized the DNR and LNR,” Putin says, using the abbreviations for the separatist regions in Donetsk and Lugansk. He speaks after Russia’s upper house of parliament granted him permission to use the Russian army outside Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to present the highest state awards in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on February 2, 2022. (Sergei Karpukhin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

He says that his decision to send troops to eastern Ukraine would depend on the situation on the ground.

“I didn’t say that the troops would go there right after our meeting with you here,” he tells reporters. “Secondly, it’s impossible to predict any specific outline of possible actions at all, it depends on the specific situation that is developing on the spot, on the ground.”

Gantz says photo shows Iran gave Venezuela know-how to make advanced UAVs

Speaking at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations meeting in Jerusalem, Defense Minister Benny Gantz reveals a photo that he says proves Iran has transferred to Venezuela the know-how for it to produce advanced UAVs.

“This image shows a model of the advanced Iranian Mohajer UAV, presented by Venezuela’s president. In addition to developing Iranian UAVs in Venezuela, our assessments show that Iranian precision-guided missiles are being delivered for these UAVs and other similar models,” Gantz says.

“With this image in mind, I can tell you that in my meetings with partners from around the world, including African and Latin American partners, I heard extreme concern about Iranian support for terrorism,” he says.

Speaking on the Iranian nuclear deal, Gantz stresses that if a deal is signed with Iran, this “does not mark the end of the road.”

A photo shared by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, which he says proves Iran has transferred to Venezuela the know-how to produce advanced UAVs. (Defense Ministry)

“It opens the door to important action that must be taken,” he says, including “stopping the development of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.”

“Enforcement and supervision by the IAEA are crucial but not enough,” Gantz says, adding that “we need to have offensive capabilities and a set of sanctions ready in our back pockets in case Iran violates the agreement.”

“Iran truly is a global and regional challenge and not just a threat to the State of Israel,” he says.

 

Billionaire Roman Abramovich makes ‘8-digit donation’ to Yad Vashem

Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich has agreed to make a very large donation to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, the museum announced.

Museum spokesman Simmy Allen does not give the exact sum, but says that it is “an eight-digit donation,” putting it in the tens of millions of shekels.

“With this contribution, Roman Abramovich will become the second-largest private donor to Yad Vashem, after Miri and Sheldon Adelson,” he says.

Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich applauds his players after they defeated Arsenal 6-0, in an English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, on March 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The contribution will go toward various Yad Vashem projects, among them the creation of two new “Book of Names” memorials, a collection of the names of all known Holocaust victims. One will be a permanent exhibition at the Jerusalem museum, and the other will be a mobile display that will travel around the world.

Police apologize for treatment of Palestinian with down syndrome in East Jerusalem

Police have apologized to the family of a Palestinian youth with down syndrome after forces treated him roughly yesterday during a protest in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem.

A top officer in the Jerusalem police met with the young man’s family and said he regretted the incident and that people with special needs should be treated “with particular understanding.”

But he adds that special needs individuals should not be used “cynically and wrongly” in political protests.

Growing number of Israelis seeking to leave Ukraine

The purpose of Israel’s new consular office in Lviv is to provide consular services for Israelis seeking to leave Ukraine, the embassy spokeswoman stresses to The Times of Israel as she reaches the city.

The Lviv office, which opened last Thursday, handled over 50 cases over the phone today. Israeli citizens call the number of the office, where some issues are solved, while others arrive to the office to take care of forms needed to enter Israel.

“With the latest developments, of course, there are some who want to leave, and there are some with problems, so they turn to us,” she says.

Flights leaving Ukraine for Israel are more full than they have been, she says, with over 50% of the seats filled.

‘Every indication’ Russia planning full-scale attack on Ukraine: NATO

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says that Russian forces continue to prepare for a potential attack on Ukraine after Moscow recognized two separatist regions as independent.

“Every indication is that Russia continues to plan for a full-scale attack on Ukraine,” Stoltenberg tells a media conference.

“We see that more and more of the forces are moving out of the camps and are in combat formations and ready to strike.”

Top cop on spyware claims: ‘Fake news infiltrated mainstream media, did great harm’

After an investigative team clears police of allegations of widespread spying on citizens through their phones, police chief Kobi Shabtai says “the ease by which the entire police force was slandered must be considered.”

Speaking at a Border Police cadet graduation event, Shabtai says: “Something unprecedented happened here. The Israel Police was hit with serious false allegations that critically hurt public trust, not just in the police, but in all law enforcement.”

He adds: “Fake news managed to infiltrate the mainstream media and to cause great harm that will take a great deal of time to mend.”

He says the investigative team led by the state prosecution “left no stone unturned” to check the claims and received “full cooperation” from the force.

Chief of Police Kobi Shabtai speaks during a ceremony in the northern city of Nazareth, on November 9, 2021. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

He says the media must show greater responsibility in reporting such claims.

“The police do not spy on Israeli citizens. The police do not spy on demonstrators and innocent people,” he says.

Environment Ministry winds up 2-day oil spill drill in Eilat

The Environmental Protection Ministry winds up a two-day emergency oil spill drill close to the Europe Asia Pipeline Company’s port in Eilat.

The scenario was based on an imagined mishap during the unloading of crude from a tanker, and saw participants launching into action out at sea and on the beach.

It brought together several emergency services, the Eilat Municipality, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and a team of marine emergency volunteers trained by the Ecoocean organization.

The exercise showed “a significant leap forward in the way all the emergency services are working together,” ministry Director-General Galit Cohen says.

But budgets must be strengthened and manpower substantially increased at the ministry’s marine unit in order to bolster Israel’s preparedness for marine pollution events, “which happens and will happen,” she adds.

Putin asks, receives parliamentary permission to use force outside Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin asks the country’s parliament for permission to use military force outside the country. The upper house of parliament quickly gives it.

The move could presage a broader attack on Ukraine after the US said an invasion was already underway there.

Several European leaders said earlier in the day that Russian troops have moved into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Putin recognized their independence.

But it is unclear how large the movements are, and Ukraine and its Western allies have long said Russian troops are fighting in the region. Moscow denies those allegations.

Court says details on taxation of natural resource exploitation must be made public

The Jerusalem District Court partially accepts a Freedom of Information petition calling for details about payments to a sovereign wealth fund to be made public.

The petition was submitted by the environmental advocacy organization Adam Teva V’Din after the Tax Authority refused to disclose which companies have paid and which have not into a sovereign wealth fund established to ensure that the public benefits properly from the exploitation of the country’s natural resources, among them natural gas and minerals.

Judge Eli Abarbanel rejects the government’s position that it is not responsible for weighing the rights to secrecy of companies with the public’s right to know.

He finds that the tax authority official who is responsible for freedom of information requests failed to strike a balance between the two interests and consulted neither the head of the authority nor the Finance Minister on what to do.

He rules that this “defect” is sufficient to justify partial acceptance of the petition and instructs the tax authority to review its response to Adam Teva V’Din’s request, “while balancing the right interests.”

Forget sanctions — US Embassy in Kyiv hits Russia with a meme

Some serious trolling of Russia here by the US Embassy in Kyiv, as it shares a meme disparaging Moscow:

Antisemitic flyers seen in Colleyville, Texas, site of recent synagogue attack

Residents of Colleyville, Texas, the community where a rabbi and three of his congregants were held hostage for 12 hours at the local synagogue last month, woke up over the weekend to find antisemitic flyers on their driveways and yards.

The flyers, which were strewn about the town in plastic zip-top bags with pebbles in them to weigh them down, were similar to ones that have been distributed in several cities across the country since last year, according to local reports. They have often been distributed by members of the antisemitic Goyim Defense League group.

Colleyville police told local news station Fox 7 that the number of flyers was in the hundreds. One flyer stated that “every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish” and another said “Black lives murder white children.”

The “COVID agenda” flyer was most recently seen in San Francisco and in multiple cities in Florida last month.

Jerusalem court freezes eviction of Palestinian family in Sheikh Jarrah

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court freezes the eviction of the Salem family in Sheikh Jarrah as it considers their appeal. They were set to be evicted beginning March 1.

The scheduled Salem eviction was a major cause of tension in the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood in recent weeks. Palestinians have protested, leading to clashes with police and right-wing Jewish Israelis.

Ayoub Salem, a Palestinian threatened with eviction, at his Sheikh Jarrah home on December 20, 2021 (Aaron Boxerman/The Times of Israel)

The evictions of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah were a key factor in the rising tensions in Jerusalem that helped spark last May’s war between Israel and Hamas.

The Salem family must deposit NIS 25,000 with the court as collateral, the judge says. He orders those seeking to evict the Salems — including the current homeowner, Jerusalem city councilmember Yonatan Yosef — to submit their response to their appeal. The timeline for the proceedings remains unclear.

Meretz MK appointed consul general in Shanghai — first Arab woman in role

Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi will become the first Arab woman to serve as an Israeli consul abroad, as Foreign Minister Yair Lapid appoints her consul general in Shanghai.

“MK Rinawie Zoabi comes with rich managerial experience and a diverse and impressive background in economics and public service,” Lapid says. “I wish her success, and I’m sure that she will lead Israel’s Consulate General in Shanghai to new and important achievements.”

The MK calls it “a great privilege to be the first Arab woman to serve in such a senior diplomatic role. I am pleased to be able to contribute to the important task of strengthening our economic, commercial, and cultural cooperation with one of Israel’s most significant economic partners.”

MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi attends a Knesset committee meeting in Jerusalem on June 21, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

2 of 3 Russian oligarchs sanctioned by UK are relatives, both Jewish

Among the oligarchs sanctioned by the UK over Russia’s latest military moves on Ukraine are Boris and Igor Rotenberg, who are relatives and are both Jewish.

Boris Rotenberg is co-owner of SGM Group, Russia’s largest construction and infrastructure company. Igor Rotenberg is a billionaire involved in drilling, infrastructure and real estate.

They will be barred from entering Britain and all UK individuals and entities will be banned from dealing with them.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the sanctions against the oligarchs and five Russian banks are “the first barrage” of measures in response to the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine.

White House official calls Russian moves on Ukraine an invasion

The White House is now calling Russian moves on eastern Ukraine an invasion.

That sets the stage for strong sanctions, long promised as Russia built up an estimated 150,000 troops near Ukraine in recent weeks.

Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer tells CNN: “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.”

Dubai airport remains world’s busiest amid security squabble with Israeli airlines

Dubai’s main airport says it has retained its top place as the world’s busiest for international travel with around 29 million passengers shuttling through the global gateway last year.

Flights from Israel to the United Arab Emirates hub are currently under threat due to disagreements over security arrangements at the airport.

Israeli airlines may soon halt flights to Dubai due to the conflict, which would also lead Israel to limit other flights to the city.

Illustrative: An Emirates airline passenger jet taxis on the tarmac at Dubai International airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 20, 2010. (Kamran Jebreili/AP)

MK Tibi pans police for manhandling East Jerusalem youth with Down syndrome

Yesterday a video circulated showing Border Police forcibly handling a youth with down syndrome in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Speaking to Channel 12 now, Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi says wryly: “It’s surprising they didn’t shoot him.” He notes that Muhammad Qara was a classmate of Iyad Halak, an autistic man who was chased down and shot dead by police in East Jerusalem in 2020 after they mistook a phone in his hands for a gun.

“The face of a person with Down syndrome is apparent even to cops,” Tibi says, “and despite this, despite the shouts of people nearby to leave him alone… they continued to push, to try to hold him. He was very frightened.”

The police have said Qara called for harming Jews and cops attempted to remove him from the scene. They said he was handed over to a relative who took him away, and that he was not detained due to his condition.

Tibi expresses doubt that Qara was inciting, noting that it is difficult to understand his speech, but “even if he did say such things, they could see who the person was, and they treated him brutally and violently anyway.”

UK to impose sanctions on Russian banks and individuals

Britain will impose sanctions on five Russian banks and three “very high net worth individuals” following the deployment of troops to two Moscow-backed regions of Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says.

“The UK and our allies will begin to impose the sanctions on Russia that we have already prepared using the new and unprecedented powers granted by this House to sanction Russian individuals and entities of strategic importance to the Kremlin,” Johnson tells parliament.

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Anglesey, North Wales, January 27, 2022. (Carl Recine/Pool Photo via AP)

Elite counter-terrorism cop killed in motorcycle crash near Jerusalem

Police say a man killed in a crash on Route 1 this morning was an officer in the force’s elite Yamam counter-terrorism unit.

Nikolai Vdovenko, 34, was “a brave and professional fighter who always took the initiative and strived for excellence,” the force says.

Vdovenko was killed when his motorcycle collided with a truck in the Harel Tunnel near Jerusalem.

Only nine percent of plastic recycled worldwide, OECD says

Less than 10 percent of the plastic used across the world is recycled, the OECD says, calling for “coordinated and global solutions” ahead of expected talks on an international plastics treaty.

A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report found that 460 million tons of plastics were used in 2019, the number nearly doubling since 2000. The amount of plastic waste had more than doubled during that time to 353 million tonnes, the Paris-based OECD says.

“After taking into account losses during recycling, only nine percent of plastic waste was ultimately recycled, while 19% was incinerated and almost 50% went to sanitary landfills,” it says in its Global Plastics Outlook.

“The remaining 22 percent was disposed of in uncontrolled dumpsites, burned in open pits or leaked into the environment.”

Plastic waste on an unidentified beach. (YouTube screenshot/Zavit)

Putin says he does not plan to ‘restore empire’

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he does not plan to restore Russia’s empire, a day after he ordered Russian troops to be sent to eastern Ukraine and questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“We predicted speculation that Russia plans to restore [its] empire within imperial borders,” Putin says at a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in the Kremlin, adding: “This absolutely does not correspond with reality.”

The Russian leader says that Moscow “recognized the new geopolitical realities” after the fall of the Soviet Union and works with “all independent countries in the post-Soviet space.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a Security Council meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 21, 2022. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

But he says Ukraine is an exception, as “it is being used by third countries to create threats towards Russia.”

“Unfortunately after the coup d’etat in Ukraine, we do not see such a level and quality of interaction with Ukraine. It disappeared,” Putin says, referring to Ukraine’s 2014 pro-Western revolution.

Eli Avidar quits cabinet, returns to Knesset assailing ‘hysterical’ Bennett

As expected, minister without portfolio Eli Avidar has announced his resignation from the government and his return to the Knesset as an MK.

He does so while assailing the coalition of which he is a part.

“Government policy in the last few months has made my stay impossible,” he says, attacking restrictive coronavirus policies.

He attacks Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as “hysterical,” and says he is “not committed to the rotation” of the premiership with Yair Lapid.

Yisrael Beytenu MK Eli Avidar in the Knesset, on April 29, 2019. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

“The man grew up on Netanyahu and does not intend to free himself of him. He copies him in every move.”

Still, he insists he will seek to ensure the government completes its term.

“My resignation comes three months too late,” he says. Avidar, despite promises to the contrary, never obtained a content-rich ministerial portfolio.

“I’ll work to do everything to make this government live out its days. But the government’s survival isn’t a value in itself… the government has to fulfill its promises.”

“The difference between the conservative camp and the liberal camp is that the conservative camp works the whole year, all day, without stop, with an agenda to topple the government,” he says. In contrast, the government involves itself in “selfies, cool tiktok videos.”

“We won’t win this way,” he says.

Queen Elizabeth II cancels engagements over ‘mild’ COVID symptoms

Queen Elizabeth II has canceled her planned virtual engagements today due to “mild” coronavirus symptoms, Buckingham Palace says.

“As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties,” says a palace spokesman.

The 95-year-old head of state tested positive for the virus on Sunday, sparking renewed concerns about her health after she spent a night in the hospital in October last year.

She was forced to rest on medical grounds and canceled a series of planned engagements, including hosting world leaders at the UN climate change summit in November.

Her appearances since then have been rare, although she returned to public duties before the start of her record-breaking 70th year as monarch on February 6.

In this October 19, 2021, photo, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II greets guests at a reception for the Global Investment Summit in Windsor Castle, Windsor, England (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)

Russia: Recognition of separatist areas includes land held by Ukrainian forces

Russia is clarifying that its recognition yesterday of independence for breakaway areas in east Ukraine extends to territory now held by Ukrainian forces.

Israeli diplomatic staff in Ukraine complete relocation to Lviv

Israel’s diplomatic staff in Ukraine have completed their transfer from the capital of Kyiv to Lviv in the country’s west.

Staff was relocated due to fears of an all-out Russian invasion that would target the Ukrainian capital.

According to Walla news, Jerusalem has notified both Ukraine and Russia of the new location of the mission in order to ensure its safety.

In a conversation with Ambassador Michael Brodsky and embassy staff, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid “emphasized that protecting the lives of Israel’s emissaries, Israeli citizens situated in Ukraine, and the large Jewish community in the country, is the State of Israel’s top priority.”

Lapid also thanks neighboring countries for agreeing to allow the passage of Israeli citizens through land border crossings if needed.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid discusses Ukraine in a press conference on February 13, 2022 (Channel 12 screenshot)
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