Russia's Ministry of Justice has requested the liquidation of the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency, a non-profit organization that promotes immigration to Israel, according to a Moscow court.
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The website of the Basmanny district court said the ministry filed the request on July 15 and it would be discussed on July 28. No reason for launching the case was given.
Hours before the announcement, the Russian Embassy in Israel issued a statement denying that interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid would have a negative effect on Israel's ties with Russia. In April, Lapid accused Russia of perpetrating war crimes in Ukraine.
A diplomatic officials who spoke to Israel Hayom confirmed that the decision had nothing to do with Lapid.
Moscow has repeatedly denied atrocities and said it does not target civilians, although thousands have been killed in nearly five months of war.
Lapid, who has also become Israel's interim prime minister since criticizing Russia, said a delegation with representatives from the prime minister's office and several ministries would visit Russia next week.
"The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected with Israel," he said in a statement. "Its importance arises in every diplomatic discussion with the Russian leadership. We will continue to act through diplomatic channels so that the Jewish Agency's important activity will not cease."
In response to news of the court filing, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai said earlier: "Russian Jews will not be held hostage by the war in Ukraine. The attempt to punish the Jewish Agency for Israel's stance on the war is deplorable and offensive."
The Jerusalem Post reported on July 5 that Russian authorities suspected the Jewish Agency of illegally gathering data on Russian citizens, while also linking the move to tensions between Israel and Russia over Ukraine and Syria.
Zvi Magen, a former Israeli envoy to Russia and Ukraine who now serves as head of the Nativ government agency that liaises with Jews in the former Eastern bloc and encourages aliyah from those countries, spoke to Israel Hayom and explained that "If the announcement is accurate, the deterioration of [Israel's] relations with Russia that began a few months ago is continuing."
Magen said that Moscow has recently take a series of steps "unfriendly" to Israel, including appealing to the UN Security Council about an airstrike on the Damascus airport that was attributed to Israel.
"There is a trend that indicates that Russia is trying to create a conflict with Israel. This might be linked to Russia moving closer to Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Tehran," Magen said.
However, the former ambassador thinks that the latest developments could be Russia's way of signaling its dissatisfaction with Israel's stance on the Ukraine war.
"It's possible that when all is said and done, the Russians' move against the Jewish Agency won't lead to any significant actions," Magen said.
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