Israel has Leverage

Russia is now demanding the closure of the Jewish Agency in Russia, apparently as retaliation for Israel’s neutrality on the Ukraine conflict. However, there is something that Ukraine long has obviously been seeking help with from Israel and that is American Jewish organizations lobbying the US government on behalf of Kyiv. While there is no lack of sympathy among Jews for the Ukrainian cause the Jewish people has for various reasons chosen to stay neutral in the conflict. Although President Putin has no record of Anti-Semitism, this decision of his is however unprecented in the post-Soviet era. The Israeli government should tell the Russian government that unless Moscow rescinds the closure of the Jewish Agency in Russia will Israel respond in kind by requesting that major American Jewish organizations begin lobbying the US government to seriously arm Ukraine in order to achieve strategic military victory and kick out every last Russian occupying soldier from sovereign Ukrainian soil. Will this lead to diplomatic escalation between Russia and Israel? Yes, but this would give Jerusalem diplomatic leverage over Moscow and there would be room for diplomatic de-escalation and rescinding the order to close down the Jewish Agency in Russia.