Putin says Israel is a ‘Russian-speaking state’
Russian leader makes statement of friendship towards Israel in Moscow at event organised by United Israel Appeal
Russia considers Israel a Russian-speaking nation, President Vladimir Putin said.
Putin made the statement, his strongest public expression of kinship with the Jewish state to date, during a speech Tuesday in Moscow at an event organised by the United Israel Appeal, a Zionist organisation responsible for collecting funds.
“Citizens of Russia and Israel are connected by ties of family, kinship and friendship. This is a real network, a common family, I say without exaggeration. Israel has almost 2 million Russian-speaking citizens. We consider Israel a Russian-speaking state,” he said.
Putin also said he would travel to Israel in January at the invitation of President Reuven Rivlin to attend events dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Of course, I will definitely take advantage of this invitation,” Putin said.
Trade between Israel and Russia rose by 9 percent in 2018 over the previous year, he added.
Russia maintains strong ties with some Russian-speaking countries, offering them beneficial trading terms and political support. It also has demonstrated a high level of intervention, sometimes hostile, in Russian-speaking countries.
Under Putin, Russia has deepened its alliance with Iran, despite calls by that country to destroy Israel and alleged attempts to develop nuclear and other arms in the context of Iran’s conflict with Israel. Russia also supports Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah, and is one of the few major powers in the world with official relations with Hamas officials.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
