Germany's Scholz heads to Israel amid Ukraine-Russia war

The war between Ukraine and Russia has taken center stage in Israel. Many here, especially among the Jewish Ukrainian and Russian communities, are watching the crisis with mixed reactions. Israel has cultural ties both to Russia and Ukraine, a country with a Jewish president, and for many, the war hits home.

"I am not OK at all. At all. The situation is very complicated and difficult," Viktoria Lurie told DW. Twelve years ago, at the age of 21, she immigrated to Israel after growing up in Melitopol, a town in southeastern Ukraine.  

Lurie's parents, relatives and friends are still there. "I came to my work yesterday, and I can't do anything, I just sit there and cry. When everybody is under fire, my heart just stops. It hurts a lot," she says. Now, she is trying to bring her family to safety, but all the possible routes are hazardous. 

On a political level, the Israeli government is treading a fine line by maintaining relations with both Russia and Ukraine — and the US and its Western allies. Israel has even been proposed as a mediator in the conflict due to this position. On Sunday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier on Friday, he was on the line with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, local media hotly debates whether he can sustain this delicate balance. 

First visit as chancellor

Amid this tense atmosphere, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected in Israel on Wednesday for a swift one-day visit, his first as chancellor. He is due to meet with Israeli leaders, stop by Israel's parliament, the Knesset, and will visit the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, accompanied by Bennett. He was reportedly expected to travel to the West Bank city of Ramallah and to Jordan, too, but cut the visit short due to the war in Ukraine.

Scholz is widely expected to continue the foreign policy of his predecessor, former chancellor Angela Merkel. German-Israeli relations have always been defined by the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered by the Germans. But since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1965, relations between both countries have grown closer — politically, economically, culturally and also in terms of military cooperation.  

Iran will also be on the agenda

Apart from the unfolding war in Ukraine, the Iranian nuclear program will also figure high on the agenda. "I think he [Chancellor Scholz] will want to speak about Ukraine, and Israel will try to speak about Iran," says Danny Orbach, a historian at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "This is the most pressing issue. I think what Israel would really want from Germany is a tougher stance on Iran, when it comes to the JCPOA and on Iranian matters in general."  

Currently, talks with Iran are underway in Vienna to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The UK, China, France, Germany and Russia are in direct talks with their Iranian counterparts. The US, which withdrew from the agreement in 2018, is an indirect partner. In Israel, there is concern that the current crisis in Ukraine might overshadow the negotiations.

Prime Minister Bennett repeatedly said that Israel, which is not a party to the talks, won't be bound by any agreement. The potential renewal of the nuclear agreement is one of few issues on which the German and Israeli governments assess differently.  

Humanitarian aid coordination 

Clearly, however, Ukraine is the most urgent priority. Last week, Israel's foreign minister, Yair Lapid, met with his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, to discuss the conflict. About 100 tons of aid such as medical equipment, tents, blankets, water purifying kits and sleeping bags will depart Israel to Ukraine in the coming days, Prime Minister Bennett said on Sunday. 

While Israel has expressed concern regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has so far avoided taking a stance that would be too closely aligned with either side. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has refrained from criticizing Russia in his statements.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, on the other hand, has struck a harsher note, calling the Russian attack a "grave violation of international law." Furthermore, Israel is expected to support a resolution to condemn the Russian invasion at the United Nations General Assembly. 

This seems partly due to its need to coordinate with Russia in neighboring Syria, where Israel allegedly carries out military strikes to prevent the entrenchment of Iranian forces or its proxy militias near its northern border.

"The Israeli government is torn between these two conflicting interests, on the one hand being part of the Western alliance, being aligned with the United States," says historian Danny Orbach. "On the other hand, it is being very careful not to undermine the [military] coordination with Russia in Syria."  

The country is now — like other countries — trying to help its citizens to leave Ukraine to neighboring countries and has set up diplomatic staff to help in Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Romania. It also expects a high number of Ukrainians to immigrate to Israel under the Israeli law of return for people of Jewish descent.  

Edited by: Sonia Phalnikar