The Jerusalem Post: Putin's visit to Israel must strengthen bilateral relations

The Israeli press on Tuesday comments on the upcoming visit by the Russian leader to Israel, which will be held on April 27-28. According to The Jerusalem Post , planned on April 27-28, the arrival of President Vladimir Putin to Israel will become a historical event that will help strengthen bilateral relations and provide an assistance to the world in the Middle East.

“It will be a really historical visit to both countries. We have common interests, and we have been hung with similar threats,” the newspaper quoted Juval Shteitsa, chairman of the Knesset Committee on International Affairs and Defense.

Indeed, this will bethe first trip of the Russian or Soviet leader to Israel. During a trip to the Middle East, Putin will also visit Egypt and Palestinian territories.

Recently, a deputy of the Israeli parliament from the ruling Likud party, Juval Steinitz and Joseph Lapid, the leader of the Israeli Opposition Party, Shinui, visited Moscow. They discussed with Russian officials and legislators the problem of peace in the Middle East, Iran’s nuclear program, the fight against international terrorism and other issues that are expected to be included in the negotiations of Vladimir Putin in Israel.

At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Israeli lawmakers talked about the expansion of bilateral cooperation. One of the topics of the meeting was the growth of the number of skinheads and crimes on the basis of national hatred in Russia. They pointed out "unacceptability of any manifestations of xenophobia, racial and ethnic hatred and anti-Semitism."

“After a very long period of the Cold War and the period after it, we now come to a situation in which we can talk about really friendly relations,” Lapid said at a press conference. “We met the full support of the peaceful efforts that our government and which we hope, Putin’s visit will contribute.”

Deputy Lapid expects Putin’s visit to the implementation of the Road Map Peaceful Plan, which is supported by the “quartet” of international intermediaries - Russia, the USA, the UN and the EU. “If one of the most important statesmen in the world comes to the Middle East to personally approve (peaceful), this helps to strengthen the process,” Lapid said. “In addition, if he uses this opportunity to help the Palestinians restore their economy, Israel will welcome such a step.”

"Over the past 15 years, which have passed from the collapse of the USSR, which has been an unshakable supporter of the Arab enemies of Israel, Israeli -Russian relations have improved significantly," the Israeli newspaper writes. The first thing that says in this benefit: after the collapse of the USSR, the Russian authorities no longer pursue anti -Semitic policy at the state level, but human rights activists accuse the government of the absence of an adequate reaction to xenophobia.

Putin recognized the presence of this problem in January at ceremonies in memory of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Shortly before the ceremony, a group of nationalist Russian deputies called for the ban on all Jewish organizations , accusing Jews of inciting ethnic hatred. At meetings with Israeli lawmakers, the highest Russian officials and deputies assured that they condemn the scandalous letter.

Another question that is alarming the Israeli side concerns Iranian nuclear and missile programs. Styanits and Lapids noted that these programs pose a threat to other countries, including Russia.

According to the newspaper, in response to the Israeli and American concern of the Russian contract in the construction of a nuclear reactor in Iran, Moscow convinced Tehran to sign an agreement providing for the return of all the worked nuclear fuel to Russia. This will be a guarantee that it will not be used to create nuclear weapons.

Russia went towards another issue that causes fears in Israel - this is the sale of air defense missiles to Syria. Russian officials promised that they would make efforts so that the missiles do not fall into the hands of terrorists. Thus, the newspaper summarizes, there are all the prerequisites so that Putin’s visit to Israel strengthen bilateral relations between countries.