Russia summons Israel envoy to Moscow for rebuke over Lapid’s remarks

Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned on Sunday Israeli Ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Ben Zvi, to rebuke him over Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s remarks on Russia, Haaretz reported.

The meeting is scheduled for today, Monday,and according to the Israeli media, would be a normal diplomatic reprimand over criticism of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“We noted another anti-Russian attack made on 7 April by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in the context of his country’s support for the UN General Assembly resolution to suspend the Russian Federation’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

It added: “We have already given our assessments of this unlawful and politically motivated resolution.

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“There is a thinly veiled attempt to take advantage of the situation around Ukraine in order to divert the attention of the international community from one of the oldest unresolved conflicts — the Palestinian-Israeli one.”

A number of Israeli officials, Haaretz said, are concerned that ties are starting to fray and worry about the Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

The Russian statement also cited the Israeli “illegal occupation and creeping annexation of Palestinian territories,” and bashed the 15-year-old Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Lapid had accused Russia of committing war crimes in Ukraine and Israel last week supported a UN motion to suspend Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council.

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