Russia’s relationship with Israel has moved between strategic cooperation and sharp conflict. Moscow backed Israel’s creation in 1947–48, severed relations in 1967, restored them in 1991, and now balances ties with Israel against partnerships with Iran, Syria and other actors hostile to Israel. The documented record is summarized in Israeli Foreign Ministry bilateral relations UN General Assembly vote record Israel’s Aliyah history.
From Soviet rupture to renewed ties
The Soviet Union voted for the UN partition plan and granted Israel de jure recognition on 17 May 1948. It broke diplomatic relations after the June 1967 war and restored them on 18 October 1991. After the Soviet Union dissolved, Israel established relations with the Russian Federation in December 1991.
Putin’s diplomacy and Syria
Vladimir Putin visited Israel in April 2005, the first visit by a Russian president. Russia’s 2015 military intervention in Syria added a direct security dimension: Israeli leaders engaged Moscow to reduce the risk of clashes while Israel acted against Iranian military entrenchment and arms transfers in Syria. See how the Syria deconfliction channel worked.
The relationship has limits. Russia maintains close ties with Iran and has hosted Hamas delegations. Those contacts give Moscow regional access while creating friction with Israel. Russian military cooperation with Iran has also grown; see the military relationship and its security implications.
War in Ukraine and current pressures
Israel voted for the 2 March 2022 UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while avoiding a direct military confrontation with Moscow. Israel sent humanitarian assistance and operated a field hospital in Ukraine in 2023. Its policy reflects both opposition to Russian aggression and the practical security need to manage Russia’s military presence in Syria.
More than 900,000 immigrants from the former Soviet Union arrived in Israel during the 1990s, transforming the country’s population and public life. Their story is covered in Russian-speaking Israelis and the Great Aliyah.