Sanctions against Russian oligarchs put Israel in a dilemma

Israel is in a dilemma over how to deal with Jewish Russian oligarchs as the international community imposes sanctions on businessmen linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Israeli government has appointed a special commission to study ways in which the country can continue to honor its founding principle of serving as a refuge for all Jews, without violating the sanctions imposed on those close to Putin.

“Israel will not be a way to evade the sanctions imposed against Russia by the United States and other Western countries”stressed the Israeli foreign minister, Yair Lapid, on Monday at a stop in Slovakia.

Several Russian-Jewish businessmen have reportedly gained Israeli nationality or residency in recent years. Many have good working relationships with the Kremlin, and at least four of them —Roman Abramovich, owner of the Chelsea FC team; Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and Viktor Vekselberg— are now sanctioned for their alleged links to Putin. Some of the sanctions date back even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Israel, which has emerged as a possible mediator between Kyiv and Moscowhas not added to the sanctions imposed by United States, Britainthe European Union and others. But as the war continues and more names are added to the list, the pressure mounts.

In an interview with Israeli TV Channel 12 this weekend, the US undersecretary of state for political affairs, Victoria Nulandcalled on Israel to join the sanctions against Russia.

“What we are asking for, among other things, is that all the democracies of the world join us in the sanctions against exports and against the Russian financial system”Nuland declared.

“Nobody is going to want to be the last remaining refuge for the dirty money that is fueling Putin’s wars”he added.

Aaron David Millera veteran American diplomat now retired, wrote in Twitter that Nuland’s comments make up “the harshest criticism of the United States against an Israeli policy since this crisis began or in fact, for a long time”.

Israel, founded as a refuge for world Jewry after the Holocaustautomatically grants citizenship to all Jews. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, approximately one million Jews from Russia and other former Soviet republics have immigrated to Israel. In recent years, many entrepreneurs from former Soviet Union countries have joined.