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Cohen protested to Lavrov: "The alliance with Iran is not to our liking" | Israel today

2023-01-03T20:22:40.544Z


The new foreign minister spoke with his Russian counterpart who congratulated him on the occasion of his entry into the ministry • The minister strongly disapproved of the relationship that has tightened between Moscow and Tehran against the background of the ongoing war • The source of the confusion in the conversation between the two to Israel Hayom: "There is no change in Israeli policy on Ukraine" • An American senior: "For the most part A war criminal" • It appears: the CEO of the ministry, Shamina Lapid, is expected to remain in his position


Foreign Minister MK Eli Cohen expressed his displeasure this evening (Tuesday) in the ears of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Israel Hayom learned.

This, against the background of the tightening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran in the shadow of the war in Ukraine. 

Cohen and Lavrov spoke by phone yesterday, When the latter called to congratulate his colleague on the pilgrimage, enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This is the first telephone conversation between Lavrov and an Israeli foreign minister since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

The previous foreign minister, MK Yair Lapid, avoided talking to Lavrov since the outbreak of the war. The conversation between the two also dealt with the regional situation in the Middle East, including the Russian presence there. According to an Israeli source, the spirit of the conversation was relaxed and positive and no Russian reservations were expressed about air force strikes against Iran in Syria .

Did not come up in the conversation: Air Force strikes against Iran in Syria (archive), photo: E.

Nose.

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He has avoided talking to Lavrov since the invasion of Ukraine.

Cohen's predecessor in the position, Lapid, photo: E.P

to downplay the talk

During the conversation, the incoming foreign minister expressed his protest at the Russian support at the UN Assembly for the Palestinian decision to request an opinion from the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Lavrov raised the issue of the additional Russian churches in Jerusalem, which Moscow is interested in transferring to its ownership. Political sources say after the conversation that the issue of Ukraine came up in the conversation and that "there is no change in Israeli policy".

Those around Cohen say that his position reflected the Israeli interest.

According to them, Cohen tried to target former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's mediation attempts between Russia and Ukraine when the war broke out.

"Mediation must be done quietly, noisy mediation neither achieves the goal nor creates frustration for the parties. This was the intention behind the minister's words," according to close sources. 

Cohen expressed his protest about the support of the Russians.

The UN General Assembly in New York (archive), photo: AFP

He asked to act for the transfer of churches in Jerusalem to Moscow.

Holy Trinity Church (archive), photo: Yoav Ari Dudkevich

In the meantime, those around the new Cohen reject the criticism leveled at him by Senator Lindsey Graham.

Cohen said the other day in his inauguration speech that talk about the war in Ukraine should be downplayed.

Graham, a longtime supporter of Israel, wrote in response on his Twitter account that "maintaining silence on the Ukraine issue will not age well. Mr. Cohen should know that Lavrov is a war criminal who represents a regime that commits war crimes on an industrial scale every day."

To stay quiet about Russia's criminal behavior will not age well.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 2, 2023

Cohen is supposed to talk today with the foreign minister of Turkey, yesterday he also talked with his colleagues from Bahrain and Greece.

"Israel Hayom" was informed that at this stage Cohen intends to keep in his position the director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Oshfiz, who was appointed at the time by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

will remain in his position.

Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alon Oshfiz, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2023-01-03

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