Israeli delegation to visit Russia following Jewish Agency crisis

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli delegation is set to leave for Russia on Wednesday for the first time since the outbreak of a crisis between Moscow and Tel Aviv following a Russian move to ban the Jewish Agency.

"At the order of Prime Minister Yair Lapid and in coordination with the Russian authorities, the Israeli delegation will leave Wednesday evening for Moscow to hold meetings with the relevant Russian authorities,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

In recent days, an Israeli-Russian crisis has emerged after the Russian Ministry of Justice moved to ban the Jewish Agency in Russia as well as the refusal of Russian authorities to allow a visit by an Israeli legal delegation.

Exacerbating the crisis, Israeli officials leaked a list of possible responses to the Russian decision, including the possibility of summoning the Israeli ambassador from Moscow for consultations.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi in Ankara contributed to this report