Hearing on Dissolving Jewish Agency to Begin in Moscow

Preliminary hearings will be held in Moscow today regarding the Russian Justice Ministry’s request to dissolve the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency organization.

The Jewish Agency is a non-profit organization that processes Jewish diaspora members’ immigration to Israel. The charges are based on the Agency’s supposed violation of Russian privacy laws, though more details are likely to be presented by authorities in court.

Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs—concurrently serving as the newly-elected Prime Minister—Yair Lapid had previously called on Russia to cease its invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly, and provided substantial humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine. Today’s preliminary hearings likely signal Moscow’s retaliation against Lapid’s condemnation of the Russian aggression.

If the Ministry of Justice authorizes the dissolution of the Jewish Agency in Russia, expect Tel Aviv to increase its scrutiny of the Russian invasion. Lapid will likely authorize the delivery of military aid to Ukraine, an action he has not yet taken despite advocating for it at the start of the invasion. In response, expect Russia-Iran relations to strengthen against Israeli geopolitical interests in the short-to-medium term, especially regarding military operations in Palestine and Syria.