Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday promised supporters to ensure the release of an Israeli American woman being held on drug charges in a Russian prison.
Naama Issachar was arrested in April while traveling via Moscow from India after Russian airport security discovered 9.6 grams of cannabis in her belongings. Two months ago, she was sentenced by a Russian court to 7.5 years in prison.
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Speaking at a Likud gathering in Haifa, where he was greeted by hundreds of enthused supporters, Netanyahu promised to use his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to see that the 26-year-old returns to Israel.
"I am not a magician, but I will bring Naama Issachar home," he pledged.
Issachar's mother, Yaffa, sent a letter to Netanyahu on Tuesday requesting that he and the Foreign Ministry advocate for her daughter's release before the first night of Hanukkah, Sunday night.
According to various reports, before Issachar was sentenced, Moscow pressured Jerusalem for a prisoner exchange with Russian hacker Alexei Burkov, who was imprisoned in Israel at the time. The government refused but later allowed his extradition to the US.
