JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called on Moscow to end the war at the negotiating table.
“Israel condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It’s without justification, and we call on Russia to stop its firing and attacks, and to resolve this conflict around the negotiating table,” said Lapid. “Israel will do all it can to help reach a peaceful solution. We are working in complete coordination with our ally the United States, and with our European partners, in order to try and end this violent tragedy as quickly as possible.”
Lapid made his comments during a visit to Romania, where he met with his Romanian counterpart and discussed the humanitarian crisis triggered by the war.
He is also scheduled to visit Slovakia during his three-day trip.
Lapid also stopped by the Ukraine-Romania border and said Israel has a “moral obligation to be part of the international effort to help refugees from Ukraine and find a warm home and a bed to sleep on.”
“It’s our oblogation not only to be good Jews but to be good people,” he added.
Today, I visited the Siret border crossing. We won’t close our gates & our hearts to people who’ve lost their whole world. We have a moral obligation to be part of the international effort to help refugees from Ukraine find a warm home & a bed to sleep in.
: Shlomi Amsalem/GPO pic.twitter.com/0CWjKZDHCX— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) March 13, 2022
Israel says it will grant entry to 5,000 Ukrainian refugees and give temporary legal status to the 20,000 Ukrainian nationals who were already in the country before the war began.
Israel’s refugee policy has been hotly debated among leaders in the country, with some arguing that Israel should prioritize Jews, and others demanding that more non-Jewish refugees be allowed in. Others have protested the treatment of Ukrainian refugees who have already landed in Israel – some of whom have spent hours detained at Ben Gurion airport.
“What is unforgivable and unacceptable are the mistakes that were made in dealing with refugees who already arrived in Israel,” said Lapid. “The scenes of an old woman and her daughter sleeping on the floor at Ben Gurion Airport must not be repeated.”
In response to criticism, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced on Sunday that Ukrainians who already have relatives in Israel will be exempt from the 25,000 entry cap. It’s unclear how many refugees Israel will admit under this new policy.
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Lapid has strongly condemned Russia since the beginning of the invasion, in contrast with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has restrained his criticism of Moscow while also voicing support for the Ukrainian people.
Israel is one of the few countries in the world to have strong relations with both Russia and Ukraine and is attempting to walk a diplomatic tightrope between the two nations.
Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine but rejected requests by Kyiv to send defensive military supplies like helmets and jackets.
For weeks, Bennett has worked to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has told Bennett that he would be open to negotiating an end to the war with Putin in Jerusalem, but that first there would have to be a cease-fire.
Putin has ignored Zelensky’s previous offers to talk.
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