The Foreign Ministry recommended against Israeli citizens traveling to Russia in light of the Wagner mercenary group’s revolt against the Kremlin on Saturday evening.
The ministry also recommends citizens keep up with the developments going on in Moscow through the Israeli Embassy in Russia.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also will hold a situational assessment on Saturday evening amid the mutiny developing in Russia. The Foreign Affairs Ministry also held a situational assessment and concluded that at this time, there is no to evacuate diplomats or any of their family members from Russia. They also concluded that there are about 60 to 70 thousand Israeli citizens in Russia and over 500 thousand Jews eligible for the Law of Return.
Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer, chairman of the Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, will convene with a committee to discuss immigration from Russia to Israel in light of the recent conflict.
“The government must recalculate a course regarding immigration from Russia and not miss the opportunity for a large wave of immigration,” Forer said.
A man speaks with fighters of Wagner private mercenary group deployed in a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)The discussion will deal with the government’s preparation for the crisis and its influence on the Jewish community and immigration to Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen spoke with Israel’s ambassador to Moscow, Alex Ben-Zvi regarding the situation, where Cohen stated that the Foreign Affairs Ministry is closely following the developments in Russia and are preparing for any scenario.
US military officer also canceled Israel trip
The top US military officer, Army General Mark Milley, has canceled a scheduled trip to the Middle East due to depart on Saturday because of the situation in Russia, his spokesperson said, where he had meant to travel to Israel. Milley was also intending on travelling to Jordan.
Milley spoke on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Milley’s office said in a separate statement.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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