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Pro-Russia forces in Ukraine free captured Israeli man

Vladimir Kozlovsky was reportedly given over to the Russian Jewish community and will later go to Israel to join his wife in Tel Aviv.

From a video of Vladimir Kozlovsky, who was kidnapped by pro-Russian militants in Ukraine, praying in a synagogue in Luhansk after being released, Aug. 25, 2022. Source: Twitter.
From a video of Vladimir Kozlovsky, who was kidnapped by pro-Russian militants in Ukraine, praying in a synagogue in Luhansk after being released, Aug. 25, 2022. Source: Twitter.

Russian official media reported that an Israeli national who was abducted by pro-Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine has been freed and is on his way to Israel.

According to Russian Television and Radio, Vladimir Kozlovsky was given over to the Russian Jewish community and will later go to Israel to join his wife in Tel Aviv.

A news report showed him speaking to his wife, then standing in a synagogue praying with tallit and tefillin.

“He prayed freely in Luhansk after he shared all the information known to him,” said the video, which was shared on social media. “It was decided to transfer the Israeli citizen to the Jewish community of Russia,” it added.

In the video, Kozlovsky initially stated that said he did not expect to survive, but to be tortured and killed.

“This political environment could discourage congressional committee staff and federal agency personnel from pursuing investigations or enforcement actions involving antisemitism,” Karen Paikin Barall of the Brandeis Center told JNS.
“They get social credit within their political bases in terms of talking about settler violence and and taking up the side of the Palestinians on issues between them and Israel,” Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute told JNS.
The U.S. envoy also said antisemitism “didn’t exist” during his upbringing and warned of an unintended clash between Israel and Turkey.
“There is not, and there will not be, a Palestinian state,” the Israeli prime minister pledged. He also called for the corruption trial against him to be dropped.