by Ariel Bolstein
The word "boycott" is foreign to Russia when it comes to Israel, and the BDS movement has no foothold on Russian soil.
Israel
and Russia are marking the 25th anniversary of re-establishing
diplomatic ties, and it's easy to say that the celebrations, taking
place in Moscow on Tuesday, are completely justified. The relationship
between Jerusalem and Moscow is blossoming like never before, and Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current visit with Russian President
Vladimir Putin is further evidence of this.
The painful topic of
pension benefits earned by Jews who lived in the former Soviet Union and
immigrated to Israel prior to 1992 is finally coming to a resolution.
In the years that preceded the waves of immigration to Israel, Jews
across the Soviet Union worked hard and accrued pension benefits, but
they were forced to relinquish their Soviet citizenship upon emigration.
As a result, the authorities revoked their pension rights. For over 20
years, the Soviet expats have been refused what they were owed according
to any measure of morality and justice. Thus immigrants from the former
Soviet Union found themselves without any savings, forced to make do
with a meager government stipend.
Now all this is about
to change. It is not customary in our parts to dole out compliments, but
Immigrant Absorption Minister Zeev Elkin, who doggedly pursued this
issue despite it often appearing hopeless, deserves a lot of credit. He
helped forge the system of trust that has been built between Netanyahu
and Putin, and without this trust, nothing in Moscow can be pushed
forward.
Meanwhile, the Russian
capital is hosting a giant exhibit about Israel. The location -- in the
opulent hall at the entrance to the Kremlin and Red Square -- says it
all. In this exhibit, all aspects of Israeli life are on display, from
the Jewish state's remarkable agriculture to its trailblazing
information technology industry and its many notable scientific
breakthroughs. When I was invited to represent the Israeli position on
several of the prominent current affairs shows in Russia, I learned that
the Kremlin looks favorably on strengthening Israel's image as an
important, significant and even prestigious diplomatic partner. And now
this positive trend is even more pronounced. The Kremlin exhibit extols
Israel, and the friendly coverage it receives in the Russian press means
that message will reach every Russian home.
In conjunction with the
exhibit, the two countries are also signing important agricultural
cooperation agreements in the field of dairy farming, which are very
profitable for Israel. Additionally, the high-quality dates grown in the
Jordan Valley are being snatched up by exhibit visitors. The word
"boycott" is foreign to Russia when it comes to Israel, and the BDS
movement has no foothold on Russian soil.
Russia is among the
small handful of influential powers in the world today. Any framework of
mutual appreciation and respect that is built between Israel and Russia
is a true strategic asset for us. This is not only about forging ties
at the highest political levels, but about the immediate social and
economic impact on the Israeli population as well. The pension funds
that will flow into Israel will increase spending by Soviet expats and
provide an economic and commercial boost. The stream of tourists from
Russia is expected to grow and contribute to creating more jobs in
Israel. New economic agreements will open new markets to Israeli farmers
who work so hard for their livelihood.
There are other, less
obvious boons as well. Russia's declared comprehensive ban on the export
of its sophisticated and dangerous Iskander short-range ballistic
missile (which several Arab countries have sought to acquire), saves our
national defense budget billions of shekels in what would otherwise be
invested in trying to counter that threat.
Ariel Bolstein is the founder of the Israel advocacy organization, Faces of Israel.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=16333
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