A delegation from the Israeli Foreign Ministry was criticized this week for traveling to Moscow for an official visit.
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On May 3, Simona Halperin, deputy director general for Euro-Asia and Joshua Zarka, deputy director general for strategic affairs, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, director of the Department for Middle East and North Africa.
It is the first known high-level meeting between Israeli and Russian diplomats since the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, excluding efforts by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.
Moscow confirmed the meeting took place the day after. Keeping a low profile, Jerusalem did not make any official announcements on the matter but too confirmed the meeting took place as a response to an Israel Hayom inquiry, saying the talks focused on strategic issues, most likely the Iranian threat.
The Foreign Ministry was criticized on social media, with Hanna Zharova, co-founder and co-chair of Israeli Friends of Ukraine NGO, saying, "Turns out that while Russia is being isolated by the entire world, except by Iran, Israel is holding official meetings [in Moscow]. Especially at a time when missiles are being launched toward Israel by the friends of the Putin regime."
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