Report: Bennett’s political partners warned him Ukraine mediation could backfire
Senior members of coalition said to have told PM his association with Putin could hurt him in the long term
Senior members of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition warned him as he began efforts to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow that his overtures could backfire, according to a Thursday report.
Israel has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, and Bennett has been seeking to leverage the position to broker talks between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. He has held numerous phone conversations with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and flew to Moscow to meet Putin in the Kremlin on March 5.
An unsourced Channel 13 report said Thursday that Bennett’s political partners warned him early in the process that the mediation efforts could have negative repercussions due to his association with Putin, and that they feel the dangers are increasing.
The report said Bennett was warned that while, in the short term, the efforts on the global stage may benefit him politically at home, in the long term it could be “very risky” internationally to be associated with Putin.
If the prime minister helps broker some kind of deal that includes any achievements for Putin, the unnamed coalition partners cautioned, Bennett might be tarnished for having helped the Russian president against Ukraine and its internationally supported leader, President Volodymyr Zelensky, the report said.
And if the effort fails, they warned, Bennett could be seen as having enabled Putin to mislead negotiators to better Russia’s military position, Channel 13 said.
A poll this week indicated that a plurality of Israelis are supportive of Bennett’s mediation in the war.
Western countries have overwhelmingly been on the side of defiant Ukraine and its charismatic president since Putin launched the unprovoked invasion late last month.
While Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has condemned the invasion, the Israeli prime minister’s attempt to take the middle ground has roiled its ties with Ukraine.
Ties between Kyiv and Jerusalem have been tense since the war started, as Ukraine has consistently pushed Israel to be more supportive of its war effort and toward refugees. The US has also sought more Israeli support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has also pushed back.
Israel is wary of angering Russia because of its powerful presence in Syria. Israel carries out military operations against Iran-linked targets in Syria, in coordination with Russia.
A Wednesday report from The Financial Times said Bennett was the “primary international mediator” in ceasefire negotiations between the sides, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Bennett has defended his decision to not send arms or other military aid to Ukraine as necessary to maintain his status as a neutral broker.
Zelensky is set to address Knesset members via Zoom on Sunday, having had a request to address the Knesset plenum rejected, with the Speaker explaining that parliament is in recess. Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov has reportedly been seeking to brief lawmakers ahead of the speech, in an attempt to present Moscow’s “perspective.”
Officials close to the prime minister have been careful not to exaggerate Bennett’s role in negotiations and have said he is not actively making proposals or pressuring the sides. Instead, they describe him as a channel of communication, passing messages from the sides in what they have described as a frank and realistic manner.
Ukraine and other Western leaders are suspicious of Russia’s intentions during ceasefire negotiations. France’s foreign minister said Wednesday that Russia was only “pretending to negotiate” in order to buy time to regroup its forces in Ukraine.
