The principle of a mirror response

What is the reason for the detention of the Israelis in Domodedovo

On Wednesday, 40 Israelites who flew from Tel Aviv to Moscow were detained at the Domodedovo airport (all are now released). As the sources of the REN TV channel later reported, the reason was problems with documents, in particular, the lack of permission to enter and temporary stay in Russia. It is known that similar problems during this year arose among Russians arriving in Israel. New Gazeta talked with the head of the European-Wounded East Center, the Russian Institute of European RAS Alexander Shumilin and found out what the refusal of the entrance to the citizens of both countries is connected, and what place in this context is the case of the Israeli Naami Issehar, who was convicted for 7.5 years for drug smuggling.

Alexander Shumilin

Head of the Center for Europe-Miligye East of the Institute of European RAS

- Mass detentions of tourists and businessmen from Israel at the airports of Russia, mainly at Domodedovo, are similar to the campaign of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the Israeli side. The campaign is quite justified by the “response”, but I would like to understand why it is happening now and why the detention is so large -scale.

In my view, Russia is clearly annoyed by the number of Russian tourists and people with Russian passports, which were denied at the entrance to Israel at the Ben-Gurion Airport. Over a year, more than five thousand were gained, if more precisely, five and a half in 11 months of this year.

In fact, this is an unprecedented campaign to filter those entering the country from Russia.

Probably, there was a clash of two developed practices to admit people on the basis of an agreement on a visa -free exchange between countries. On the Russian side, this is accumulated irritation due to the fact that Israel acts within the framework of special norms that suggest automatic access to the country of all Jews who proved their nationality. Because of this (in the representation of Russia), Israel has turned into a guide country, including those who are suspected of committing crimes in Russia.

As for Israel, if, on the principle of blood on which the entire state is based, almost all Jews are found or shelter, then non -Jews cause an increased level of suspicion. In Israel, they already tried to find shelter, referring to false Jewry, many suspects of criminal activity. There were times when they hastily gave them asylum, and then after the verification the data on their Jewry was not confirmed. But their involvement in crime was confirmed. Hence the increased suspicion of the Israeli authorities, which often pours on ordinary tourists.

Then a chain reaction occurs. A large number of refuseniks mean increased pressure, indignation and complaints addressed by the affected Russian embassy in Israel, the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, etc. The reaction of the Foreign Ministry, in turn, is based on the principle of a mirror response, which Putin spoke about not so long ago as “ordinary practice” in relation to the mutual expulsion of diplomats from Germany and Russia. Accordingly, the Russian Foreign Ministry also considers the mirror refusal to enter the Israelis “ordinary practice”. Although this symmetry (“symmetrical answer”) is only visible.

Because Israel acts taking into account the already accumulated impressive negative experience, and in Russia the experience of identifying the involvement of the Israelis in the commission of crimes is small.

But there is a desire to respond to the actions of the Israeli authorities.

On Thursday, the trial against Naama Issahar continued ( on December 19, the Moscow Regional Court considered the appeal in its case - D.K. ). Israel believes that the punishment was excessive against her. In addition, this girl was traveling in Russia, she was not on her territory and was not going to be for a long time. It is customary to link Issahar with the case of Hacker Alexei Burkov, who has a Russian passport. He was in Israel and was, despite the protests of the Russian side, extracted in the United States due to suspicions of involvement in cyber attacks.

The conflict around the detainees at airports is unlikely to affect the state of relations between the two countries and even on the visa -free entry mode. This is a temporary surge in discontent, which will be settled. On Thursday, the last batch of Israelis, detained in Domodedovo, was given, they were kept from eight hours to a day and released. True, it is not very clear where - to Russia or Israel. But these are details, the main thing is that they are now outside the detention regime.

In addition, the argument in support of the aspirations of the parties to maintain their former relations can be considered a refusal to Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko in a request for a residence permit in Israel.

This is just the case when non -Jews with Russian and Ukrainian passports are trying to find a shelter or a temporary refuge in Israel. Since Babchenko is considered a Russian defendant (albeit with a Ukrainian passport), this can also be regarded as a conciliatory gesture of the Israeli side to Russia.

Updated
On the afternoon of December 18, Babchenko denied the information that he was not given a residence permit.