Report: Israel PM Naftali Bennett Refused Ukrainian Request for Military Aid

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to provide military assistance to the embattled eastern European nation, Israeli media reported Sunday.

Zelensky asked for “assistance with military implements and weapons” during a phone call with Bennett on Friday, the Kan public broadcaster reported according to a translation by the Times of Israel.

Israel responded with “diplomatic politeness,” but ultimately demurred from fulfilling the request, the report said.

Israel is an ally of both Russia and Ukraine and has been cautious about taking sides since Moscow’s invasion. Russia also has heavy military presence in Syria and controls its skies and as such, Jerusalem coordinates all military strikes on Iranian targets in Syria with Moscow.

In addition, both Ukraine and Russia have large Jewish communities and Israel sees itself as a protector of Jews in the Diaspora.

According to a separate report last week, Jerusalem prevented the U.S. from transferring Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system to Ukraine last year in an attempt to maintain Israel’s ties with Russia.

During the same phone call with Zelensky, the Ukrainian president asked Bennett if Israel would serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk told The New York Times, “We do believe that Israel is the only democratic state in the world that has great relations with both Ukraine and Russia.”

On Sunday Bennett floated the idea to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call.

According to the Kremlin readout, Putin told Bennett that Russia had sent a peace delegation to Gomel in southern Belarus to conduct talks with Ukraine.

The Kan report said that during the phone call, Bennett reassured Putin that a plane headed for Ukraine this week contained only humanitarian supplies and not weapons.

Bennett convened a meeting of the security cabinet on Sunday evening for a “comprehensive” discussion to examine “the implications of the situation for Israel.”

According to Kan, Bennett told ministers during a Sunday meeting on the implications of the war on Israel, that the Jewish state needs to “maintain a low profile” in the conflict.

At Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Bennett maintained that Israel is behaving in a “measured and responsible way.”

On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid came out in harsh condemnation of Russia, saying its invasion of Ukraine was “a grave violation of the international order.”

It was the first time Jerusalem came out in direct censure of Moscow. According to the report, Lapid was drafted two statements by foreign ministry officials: one that mentioned Russia and one that did not, and he chose the more direct condemnation.

During Sunday’s meeting, Bennett announced that Israel would be sending 100 tons of humanitarian aide to Ukraine.

Thousands of Israelis have left Ukraine by land since the invasion on Thursday and 2,500 more have requested that Israel allow them to immigrate, the foreign ministry said.

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