Three days after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's dramatic trip to the Kremlin, in the middle of Saturday, details of what happened there are beginning to become clear.
Is Israel mediating between Russia and Ukraine?
No.
Is Israel playing an important role in the international efforts to end the war?
The answer is definitely yes.
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Twitter tweets from Ukrainian President Zalansky, and an official announcement from the Kremlin, told yesterday about two more, and separate of course, talks between the two presidents with Prime Minister Bennett.
Bennett's bureau did not report these calls, perhaps because at this point Israel's role is already less vital than it was just a few days ago.
Because right now the parties themselves are the ones who have to make the fateful decisions about their future.
Israel cannot and should not do this in their place.
Paradoxically, Zlansky and Putin are in a somewhat similar situation.
Whoever decides to be flexible, give up and stop the war risks severely damaging his personal prestige, but returning peace to his country.
On the other hand, each of them's decision to continue the war could tear their country to shreds.
In this context, of course, Zalanski's condition is worse.
Putin is not hesitant to continue his campaign to destroy Ukraine, and French President Emmanuel Macron's words that "the worst is yet to come" reflect the situation well.
Zlansky entered a glorious and justified war of independence, but his only chance of winning it was a scenario of the disintegration of Putin's rule.
At present such a development seems far-fetched, but it is certainly possible.
The Russian president has experienced quite a few oppositions to the war, above and beyond what is acceptable in his autocratic country.
He also does not know where things might go wrong for him.
Either way, Israel's contribution was to get answers to a question that the whole world is asking - what's going through Putin's head?
Bennett examined with him in some detail what is important to him and where he is able to maneuver, what the gaps are and what he thinks is the way to close them, and how he sees the state of talks with Ukraine.
This picture, along with insights and conclusions, was passed on by Bennett to Schultz, Macron, and of course Zalansky, who in turn shared their knowledge with future leaders in the West.
Thus, for the first time since the outbreak of the war, it was possible to draw diplomatic routes that might lead to an end to the war.
This action of Bennett, is valued in the international community, and added many points to him personally and to Israel.
The British Ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, explained in a briefing to reporters today that "Israel is the only democracy that has good relations with the two countries and Bennett is the first leader to sit with Putin for three hours since the war began. This is a significant achievement. I think someone thought it would stop the war the next day. "
Wigan thinks the question is whether Putin is open to a diplomatic solution.
In Israel, in fact, it is believed that Zalansky is the one who has to make a historic decision, because the Russian proposal is known to him, allows him to continue his rule, prevents the destruction of his country, and in any case is not really changeable.
And what about the Israeli interest?
Precisely the unique status of the messengers, justifies Jerusalem's almost neutral stance on the crisis.
The heart of Israel is in the west but it is at the end of the east, and this is understood in the four winds of heaven.
Were we wrong?
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