Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber will visit Russia on Thursday, in an effort to strengthen ties with the country’s Jewish community.
The announcement comes just one day after Israel joined the United States in voting against a U.N. resolution reaffirming the world body’s condemnation of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
“After the U.N. vote, relations between Israel and Russia continue to warm,” according to a statement released by Rabbi Ber’s office on Tuesday. “Ber was invited by Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and local authorities who seek to strengthen ties with Israel once again under the guidance of the Trump administration,” the statement continued.
Relations between Jerusalem and Moscow have been strained since Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago. Despite criticism from both sides, Israel has sought to maintain a delicate balance between principled support for Ukraine and maintaining cordial relations with Moscow due to its influence in the region and the Jewish community still in Russia.
At the urging of the United States, Israel voted against Monday’s U.N. resolution affirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity and condemning Russia’s invasion of the country on its three-year anniversary.
The Israeli chief rabbi will stay in Russia for several days, and will spend Shabbat in Moscow’s Maryina Roscha district.