Israel sends delegation to ensure Jewish Agency’s activities continue in Russia

Israel has decided to send a delegation to Russia to ensure the continuation of the Jewish Agency’s activity in Russia, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement yesterday.

The statement said, Lapid assessed the situation with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council, adding that it has been decided that delegations from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration would be sent to ensure the continuation of the Jewish Agency’s activities in Russia.

“The Jewish community in Russia is deeply connected with Israel. Its importance arises in every diplomatic discussion with the Russian leadership. We will continue to act through diplomatic channels so that the Jewish Agency’s important activity will not cease,” the statement quoted Lapid as saying.

READ: Russia moves to dissolve Jewish Agency that promotes immigration to Israel

A follow-up meeting will be held about the matter on Sunday, Lapid’s office added.

The Jewish Agency is a not for profit organisation which facilitates and encourages the immigration of Jews to Israel.

Earlier in the day, the Russian justice ministry filed an appeal with the Basmanny court in Moscow calling for the “dissolution” of the Jewish Agency’s operations in the country.

A spokeswoman for the Basmany court in Moscow, Ekaterina Buravtsova, said the request was made after legal violations but did not provide further details, Interfax news agency reported.

On 5 July, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that Russian authorities suspected the Jewish Agency of illegally gathering data on Russian citizens, while also linking the move to tensions between Israel and Russia over Ukraine and Syria.