Israeli Foreign Ministry summons Ukrainian ambassador after he criticised Netanyahu for boasting about ties to Putin

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Ukrainian ambassador Yevhen Korniichuk to issue him with a reprimand after he criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the latter's comments about his frequent interactions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: The Times of Israel, a Jerusalem-based online newspaper; Israeli news portal Ynet

Details: Korniichuk was called to a meeting with Yuval Fuchs, Deputy Director General for Eurasia at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday 11 December. The meeting was officially described by the foreign ministry as a summons "for a reprimand".

The reason was an interview Korniichuk gave to Ynet, in which he criticised Netanyahu's position on relations with Moscow.

The ministry said in a statement that Fuchs "made clear" to the ambassador that his comments were "entirely unacceptable and deviated from diplomatic protocol". Fuchs claimed that Korniichuk's remarks ignore the support Israel has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Netanyahu began boasting about his "personal relationship" with Putin during the 8 December debates in the Knesset regarding Israel's international status. The Israeli prime minister said he communicates with the Russian leader "on a regular basis" to protect Israel's "vital interests", particularly along its northern border.

Quote from Netanyahu: "We maintain ongoing contacts with another global power – Russia. I speak regularly with President Putin, and this decades-long personal relationship helps protect vital Israeli interests, including efforts to prevent interference along our northern border." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda doesn't recognise Putin as president – ed.]

Details: In the interview with Ynet, Korniichuk said he is concerned about Netanyahu's rhetoric, noting that Russia is an ally of Iran and supports terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which attack Israel.

Quote from Korniichuk: "I'm not here to advise your prime minister on what to say, but I want to remind you that Russia, this so-called 'great power', has been waging a brutal war against Ukraine for nearly four years. They are killing women and children, slaughtering civilians and creating severe humanitarian and legal issues. I was surprised by Netanyahu's remarks, especially considering what Israel endured on 7 October [2023]. One must stand on the right, moral side of history."

Details: Korniichuk also highlighted Russia's direct role in supporting Israel's enemies.

"Your military has shown me weapons seized from Hezbollah that were clearly manufactured in Russia. If ties with Russia are so good, why are Russian arms ending up with Hezbollah? Open sources report that Russian instructors train both Hezbollah and Hamas and that their operatives travel frequently to Moscow for support," he noted.

Background:

• Last week, a large Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka visited Israel to participate in a meeting of the joint economic committee.
• The sides discussed cooperation in energy, healthcare and veteran rehabilitation. Notably, Ukraine signed an agreement with the Israeli Tekuma Authority to learn from their experience in rebuilding communities.

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