During a media briefing on Sunday, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen discussed the harsh statements by the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv accusing Israel of opting “for a path of close cooperation with the Russian Federation.”
The Foreign Minister stated that Ukrainian Ambassador Yevgen Korniychuk will be summoned for a reprimand at the Foreign Ministry and clarified that “despite the complex situation with Russia, Israel stood beside Ukraine since the beginning of the war until now, publicly supported Ukraine’s sovereignty over all of its land, and even voted in international forums for condemnations of Russia.”
In a post on social media earlier Sunday, the Ukrainian Embassy alleged that the Israeli leadership, “hiding behind verbal demagoguery about their neutrality (albeit no longer concealing it), actively forges relations with the Russian Federation. In reality, on the ground, the so-called “neutrality” of the Israeli government is considered a clear pro-Russian position,” while “the people of Ukraine, including its substantial Jewish community, are bleeding under the onslaught of Russian missiles and Iranian drones.”
The Minister also pointed out that Israel provided “unprecedented” humanitarian aid (in 2022, approximately 80 million NIS, and this year, the budget is even higher). “The early warning system which Israel is adjusting for Ukraine will save the lives of Ukrainian citizens,” he added.
Minister Cohen also discussed continued efforts to normalize ties with Arab states. “Israel is interested in advancing a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. We are very optimistic about the option to reach this agreement. This is an obtainable agreement, after which other nations will join,” Cohen stated.
“The discussions on the matter are being held through several channels, the central one being the American government. The Saudis are also interested in such an agreement,” he added. Cohen explained that the deal would be unique, would not be part of the Abraham Accords, and would include additional states other than Saudi Arabia. “We assess that there is a window of opportunity until March 2024, after that, the US political system will be focused on the presidential elections.”
Cohen clarified that the Negev Forum meeting between ministers from Israel, the US, and Arab states, was delayed by Morocco in protest of Israel’s decision to expand construction in Judea and Samaria but not canceled. The Foreign Minister insisted that he believes the meeting will be held in the future and will include states that do not yet have official ties with Israel. He believes that those states will participate as part of the steps toward normalization. He added that the ties with Morocco are very strong, as seen by the number of official visits to the nation by Israeli officials.
The Minister also mentioned, in short, the American decision to stop funding and participating in research, development, and scientific cooperation projects in Judea and Samaria. “I object to the decision, and I think it is wrong. In similar situations in the past, the Israeli Government made sure to reimburse those who were harmed by these decisions,” the Minister explained.
