Russia moves to dissolve Jewish Agency branch that promotes immigration to Israel
LONDON (Reuters) -Russia’s Ministry of Justice has requested the liquidation of the Russian department of the Jewish Company, a non-profit organisation that promotes immigration to Israel, based on a Moscow court docket.
The web site of the Basmanny district court docket stated the ministry filed the request on July 15 and it will be mentioned on July 28. No cause for launching the case was given.
The transfer in opposition to the Jerusalem-based company, the most important Jewish non-profit organisation on the planet, follows criticism by Israel of Russia’s struggle in Ukraine, the place Israeli Overseas Minister Yair Lapid accused it in April of finishing up struggle crimes.
Moscow has repeatedly denied atrocities and stated it doesn’t goal civilians, though hundreds have been killed in almost 5 months of struggle.
Lapid, who has additionally change into Israel’s caretaker prime minister since criticising Russia, stated a delegation with representatives from the prime minister’s workplace and a number of other ministries would go to Russia subsequent week.
“The Jewish group in Russia is deeply linked with Israel,” he stated in an announcement. “Its significance arises in each diplomatic dialogue with the Russian management. We are going to proceed to behave by diplomatic channels in order that the Jewish Company’s vital exercise is not going to stop.”
In response to information of the court docket submitting, Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai stated earlier: “Russian Jews is not going to be held hostage by the struggle in Ukraine. The try and punish the Jewish Company for Israel’s stance on the struggle is deplorable and offensive.”
The Jerusalem Submit reported on July 5 that Russian authorities suspected the Jewish Company of illegally gathering knowledge on Russian residents, whereas additionally linking the transfer to tensions between Israel and Russia over Ukraine and Syria.
Round 7,000 Jews emigrated from Russia to Israel final 12 months, based on Israeli authorities knowledge. Round 16,000 immigrants have arrived from Russia for the reason that begin of the struggle, a Jewish Company spokesperson stated.
Though Israel has not despatched army support to Ukraine, it has condemned Russia’s invasion of its neighbour. Historically robust relations with Moscow deteriorated in Might after Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Hitler had Jewish ancestry, prompting anger in Israel.
(Reporting by Reuters in London and by Dan Williams, Steven Scheer and Henriette Chacar in Jerusalem; Enhancing by Mark Trevelyan, Nick Macfie and Alison Williams)
