In an exceedingly rare event, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett flew to Moscow on Shabbos morning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He was accompanied by Ukrainian-born Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who assisted with translation, National Security Head Eyal Hulata, political adviser Shimrit Meir and the prime minister’s spokesperson Matan Sidi.
They flew to Moscow on a private plane normally used by the Mossad.
The meeting lasted about 3 hours, ending on Motzei Shabbos at about 8 p.m, and the two discussed the war in Ukraine, including the situation of Jewish communities and Israelis in the country.
The meeting followed two phone conversations between the two leaders over the past week, during which Bennett offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
It’s the first time in history that an acting prime minister of Israel flew on Shabbos. Bennett is the first Western leader to meet with Putin since he invaded Ukraine.
According to an Axios report, Bennett spoke by phone on Friday with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and informed him of the meeting with Putin. The report added that Biden administration officials told senior Israeli officials that they are skeptical that Bennett can influence Putin’s actions regarding Ukraine.
Israel also updated France, Germany, and Ukraine ahead of the meeting.
Shortly after the meeting, Bennett spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone. He then flew from Moscow to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
According to a Channel 12 News report, Bennett tried to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday but he refused the call due to Bennett’s planned meeting with Putin.
The Prime Minister’s Office denies that such a call took place.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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31 Responses
Tachlis?
is he wearing a couple whilst breaking Shabbat?
So proud he is the leader of the ‘Jewish’ state!
Was this flight on שבת covered by the Halachic dispensation granted by Rav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman as reported on YWN yesterday?
Kochi V’otzem yadi?? When will they learn??
he should have stabbed putin to death
Vladimir has the best vodka at his kiddush!
Of course it was going to be the “frum” one. Insane
Is he out of his mind? Shows how “frum” he is.
Given that the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yidden in both Ukraine and Russia are at risk, I’m not sure that there is much question as to his travel schedule. EY must thread a needle in terms of avoiding public criticism of Putin while working behind the scenes with the U.S. and Europe in responding to the unfolding tragedy and existential threat to world peace.
I once heard a good line. They want your opinion until you give it, and then they will use it against you. Bennet getting involved is very dangerous for Israel and jews. Putin will do what he wants regardless, and in the end Israel will be hated by the Ukrainians and the Russians.
MASKIM
With thousands of Jewish lives on the line, this is a kiddush hashem!
obviously, Putin had to feel this necessary to spend several hours with Bennett.
Maybe he is feeling unsure of his success if he is inviting two Jews to send a message to a third one.
It is, of course, clear that one should make this trip on shabbos. Are people here who disregard halochos on saving lives consider themselves “frum”?
Whoever here has the chutzpah to even question wether he should fly on shabbos is an am Haaretz and prob the reason we are where we are..idiots
I’m not a big fan of Bennett, but in this case “Don L’Kaf Zchut”. I’m assuming Bennett requested the meeting and Putin said, where and when. I believe Bennett is truly concerned about the lives of the over 100,000 Jews in the Ukraine.
During WWII, Mr. Irving Bunim A”H, traveled on Shabbat to raise funds for the Vaad Hatzala, because time was “of the essence”.
I’m ashamed both of this headline and most of the comments. If he had even a small chance of facilitating a cease fire or some other way of saving lives, there’s no question that he had a right and responsibility to take that flight. Shame on all of you who criticized him for this. Do you also spit at the Hatzalah members when they drive by on Shabbos, or does it just fit your personal sinas chinam agenda to criticize Bennett because his kippah is different than yours?
What is wrong with everyone? Doesnt each and every Hatzalah member break Shabbos without a thought!!!!!!!!! if theres a chance theyll be saving a life?
@gadolhadorah maybe even the lives of millions all over the world…
He also spoke to putin about the iran nuclear sanctions……there are so many lives that could be potentialy saved because of this meeting. If he would of left it till Motze Shabbos he could have missed the chance. Its am haaratzus to think there could be a problem here.
I’m appalled at the ignorance of the OP and most of the comments here.
There’s not a Gadol that would condemn his trip on shabbos – specifically because of his stated intention: to get Putin to provide safe passage for the Jews of Ukraine to leave the country.
If there was even a slight chance at succeeding in saving even 1 Ukrainian Jews life from the meeting then he was allowed to fly on shabbos and do whatever is in his means to save the person!
Not only that, he issued a gag order so that he shouldn’t be bashed for trying to save fellow Jewish lives, and the Kremlin decided to hit him by sending the story to the press.
Lo am haaretz hasid … Non-religious PMs were afraid to be seen violating shabbos. A religious PM knows halakha and is not afraid on pikuach nefesh, trying to save the world from ww3 (war gaming estimated losses: 1 bln), even if his particular chances are slim. This is great also for halakha also – publicizing importance of pikuach nefesh to amei haaretz and other artzos.
Im sure all critics of Bennett, who is trying to make peace, would feel the same (NOT) if they were in Ukraine now, and hoping to survive the next shelling.
GH: FYI – Religious Jews consult with rabbinic authorities to determine whether a situation meets the parameters of pikuach nefashos doche Shabbos. And unless you have Smicha, it is completely disingenuous of you to pasken after the fact (or before). If indeed Bennet was given a psak by an competent halachik authority to travel on Shabbos, he should have proclaimed that loud and clear to the public; otherwise we might have what constitutes a horrible chilul Hashem.
I never witnessed such striking מידה כנגד מידה:- This low life bennett brazenly forced some visiting South Africans to be מחלל שבת and fly back to South African on שבת וישב as was reported on YWN, and probably never responded to the letter sent to him by the South African Chief Rabbi on 2nd day of חנוכה as was shown on YWN, so מידה כנגד מידה this low life bennett was given a taste of his very own medicine, also being forced to fly on the holy שבת
YWN, this is a little disingenuous. Yes, he flew on Shabbos, but every other Israeli PM has been a mechalel shabbos b’farhesia (public shabbos desecrator). Now I have no love for Bennett specifically or for the Zionist government, but calling out this particular act which in all likelihood fell under the context of pikuach nefesh, is unnecessary. Did you not notice the follow-up story of a planeload of Ukranian Jewish orphans arriving safely in Israel after Shabbos. Maybe that needed to be negotiated with Putin directly? Maybe his meeting and flight directly saved 100+ Jewish children? Regardless of what anyone thinks of Bennett, flying on shabbos (or any public shabbos desecration) is not in character for him, so an act like this which warrants at least safek pikuach nefesh, should not be called out like this by a frum news site.
I certainly wouldn’t want the hatzalah members that rushed my father to the hospital on a shabbos to be named in an article as “the first ambulance drivers in their area to respond to a call on shabbos”. And if you did run such an article, you would rightfully feel stupid.
Why does YWN tell us the fact that the PM flew on Shabbos, but include no discussion of whether the trip was pikuach nefesh? This is misleading because it creates the impression that Bennett is mechalel Shabbos when in fact its not clear that he was.
The Hamodia in its article about Bennett’s trip mentioned that “The Prime Minister’s Office said that Bennett flew to Moscow in the early hours of Shabbos morning due to pikuach nefesh” and did not mention that this was the “first time” a PM flew in Shabbos (which is irrelevant).
I don’t think the Hamodia loves Bennet anymore than YWN does – they share all of our outrage over the Bennett’s government’s attacks against the Torah and frum families in Israel. But such outrage does not justify publishing misleading information. The laws of loshon Hara and motzi shem ra do not go out the window just because we are dealing with a politician who has enabled evil policies. If you think he has the halachic status of a rasha for whom you are allowed to tell loshon hara and are not required to be Dan lechaf zchus, please explain how you reached that conclusion and whose psak you relied on.
Gadolhadorah,
Since 1948, with all the dangers and wars Israel found itself facing, no PM ever flew on Shabbos- until Bennett came around, the “frum” guy. Give me a break! He couldn’t go before, or after Shabbos? He just wanted to be the first to meet the murderer.
כל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא
if I where the prime minister I would definitely consider flying on shabbos. does that make me not frum?
Moishekapoieh, you know what happened to the tzefardayah in Mitzrayim: every time they killed one, two would pop up in its place. We really don’t more Putins!
I think its pretty clear that there was at least a safek that he could stop the fighting and save lives, which is the threshold needed.