Hamas Attack Ends a Delicate Entente Between Russia and Israel – WSJ

For years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pursued what he called a complex relationship with the Kremlin, maintaining cordial relations with an increasingly isolated Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Even Russia s invasion of Ukraine and its warming relations with Israel s arch rival, Iran, failed to upend the cooperation. The leaders kept in touch by phone, and Netanyahu announced a nonaligned approach to the war in Ukraine, refusing to purvey lethal aid or air-defense systems to Kyiv, despite Western pressure.

Now, after the deadly attack by Iranian-backed Hamas militants on Israel, the conversations appear to have ceased. Putin is one of the few major world leaders who hasn t called Netanyahu to offer condolences for the more than 1,300 Israelis killed by Hamas in the attack.

Putin and Netanyahu used to communicate frequently, said Vera Michlin, a former official at Israel s national-security council and now director of education at Sympodium, a U.K.-based think tank. The current silence is definitely indicative of the wider Russian approach.

The ending of entente between Russia and Israel highlights a larger tectonic shift under way in Russia s role in the Middle East since Putin launched his war in Ukraine. Scrambling for arms and allies to execute its botched invasion of Ukraine, Russia has transformed its once-carefully-balanced relationship with Iran while strengthening ties with Arab states such as Egypt, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

via www.wsj.com