The U.S. stands on one side as the devoted friend of Israel which attempts to prevent a conflict at any cost, and on the other — Russia, whose military forces are posted on the Israeli border, and the last thing Israel needs is to aggravate President Putin, for with one word of his, all Israeli activities on Syrian soil against Hizbullah armament will come to a halt.
We must also not forget Russian Jewry which enjoys the Russian president's support, and he does maintain very close contacts with the Jewish communal heads there. Israel has its own interests in Ukraine, partly because of the large Jewish population there, and also because of its good diplomatic relations.
In short, in every direction one looks, Israel's supreme interest is to be neutral and not stick its head into this power struggle.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered his ministers clearly and plainly not to express any opinion on this subject. But who is Bennett? Who is obligated to listen to him?
It began with Alternate Prime Minister Lapid, the man who causes damage to Israel's foreign relations every single day as Foreign Minister, who said, "Israel shall march naturally alongside its traditional ally, the U.S., in spite of an interest to preserve good relations with Russia."
It continued with the Minister of the Diaspora Nachman Shai who said that in the event that sanctions are instituted against Russia if it invades Ukraine, Israel will join them.
It continued on to the Chairman of the Foreign and Security Committee MK Ram Ben Barak, who said, "We base our relations with the U.S. which is our friend and whose values we share. If we are forced to choose sides, we will choose them."
And on to Minister Michaeli, who also concurred that relations with the U.S. are preferable to those with Russia.
All this is well and true, but who asked them? Of what good is all of this prattling which is stored away in the Russian president's memory even after the crisis? Who asked this uncontrolled assemblage to express a stand on a controversy which does not involve them? How much damage will this government yet inflict in every area until it finally reaches the end of the road and crumbles?
