Keeping online spat with Ukraine alive, Israel says Kyiv’s request for help over stolen grain didn’t include evidence

Despite the resolution of the latest shipment, Israel continues its back-and-forth with Ukraine over stolen grain reaching Israeli ports, saying that Ukraine’s request for legal assistance this week “contained significant factual gaps and did not include any supporting evidence.”

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed that Israel received Ukraine’s request for legal assistance the night before regarding a vessel waiting to dock in Haifa, which is suspected of carrying grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territory.

The two sides continued fighting on X over the shipment, which the Israeli importer finally rejected today.

“The Israel Police reached out to the Ukrainian Prosecution with a request to provide additional information and supporting evidence, as required by Israeli law,” says the Foreign Ministry on X.

“Meanwhile, we were informed that the vessel that was supposed to enter the port next week decided to depart from Israel’s territorial waters,” the ministry continues. “Israel abides by the rule of law and its authorities will always act in accordance with the law.”

The Panama-flagged Panormitis bulk cargo ship arrived in Haifa Bay this week and was waiting for permission to berth in the northern Israeli port and unload the grain.

Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions that Russia claims as its own since invading Ukraine in 2022 — as well as Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014 — to be stolen, and has protested its export to other countries.