Israel’s Bennett Surprises With Sabbath Flight to Putin’s Kremlin

ATHENS — The decision of Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, to fly to Moscow on the Sabbath for a meeting with Vladimir Putin will be seen by other world leaders as testament to the urgency of the situation in Ukraine and by many in the Jewish world as a classic example of Israeli chutzpah. Mr. Bennett departed early Saturday morning for the Russian capital along with a small delegation including a Russian-speaking cabinet minister, Zeev Elkin. Both men are observant Jews and wouldn’t normally travel on the Sabbath, but an exception was made because the trip could result in lives being saved. The big question is, will it?During a three-hour meeting, the leaders discussed the fighting in Ukraine and the possibility of cease-fire, the Israeli news site Walla reported late on Saturday. As of Saturday evening, Moscow time, no readouts of the conversation between the two men had been released.Mr. Bennett’s office confirmed the meeting at the Kremlin, which came just days after the prime minister spoke over the phone with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Israel is one of the few countries that has good working relations with both the Russians and the Ukrainians. The country has delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but also maintains ties with Moscow to make sure that Israeli and Russian warplanes do not come into conflict in neighboring Syria. Israel’s relatively cautious approach to outright criticism of Mr. Putin has dismayed some — not least the Ukrainian leadership — but Mr. Bennett’s brash move — and on Shabbat, yet — looks set to dial back some of that disappointment. According to Walla, Mr. Bennett spoke with the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, on Friday and informed him that he would be flying to Moscow on Saturday for the meeting with President Putin and that “a source close to the details said that Bennett did not seek approval but only updated the National Security Adviser, and that Sullivan did not object.” That source added, the report says, that the White House adviser made it clear to the prime minister’s office that he is skeptical about the chances of influencing Mr. Putin’s position.According to Israel’s Government Press Office, Mr. Bennett was accompanied by the Israeli national security advisor and director of the National Security Council, Eyal Hulata, a diplomatic advisor, Shimrit Meir, and the prime minister’s spokesman, Matan Sidi.Mr. Bennett’s office has updated the White House on the trip, according to Israeli officials, as well as Germany, France, and Ukraine. Mr. Bennett next flew to Berlin for a meeting with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.With the Associated Press

Israel’s Bennett Surprises With Sabbath Flight to Putin’s Kremlin

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