35 years since the renewal of relations: Russia's ambassador to Israel in a special column

Russia's ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, published a column in Ma'ariv marking 35 years since the renewal of diplomatic relations. He praises Israel for not joining sanctions against Russia, notes phone calls between Putin and Netanyahu, and expresses hope for continued cooperation.

To mark 35 years since the renewal of diplomatic relations between Israel and Russia, Russia's ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, published a special column in Ma'ariv. Viktorov praises Israel for its balanced approach to the Ukrainian crisis, its refusal to join anti-Russian sanctions, and its non-supply of weapons to Kyiv. He notes that in 2025, Putin and Netanyahu held six phone calls, with another call taking place in January 2026. The ambassador emphasizes Russia's role in helping to free some Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip, and the volume of bilateral trade exceeding $2 billion in recent years, despite difficulties in direct payments due to excessive caution by Israeli banks. Viktorov expresses hope that even after the Knesset elections, Israel will not join sanctions and will continue constructive dialogue. He calls for a political-diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on international law, and for the establishment of an equitable security system in the Middle East.