Image: The Daily Star Lebanon
July 26 - Russia threatens to close an Israeli agency in Russia.
In March Israel joined other nations at the United Nations condemning Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.
However, Israel did not join Western allies in sanctioning Russia, hoping to continue a relationship with Russia so that Putin did not use his military presence in Syria to oppose Israeli strikes in Syria against Iran and Hezbollah.
But, Israel did help the sanction-givers by banning planes and ships that are not registered in Israel from staying in the country for more than 24 hours. This was done to prevent sanctioned oligarchs from using Israel as a safe haven for their private jets and yachts. In addition, Israel has provided funds and support for Ukrainian refugees.
But, Israel’s semi-neutral stand against Russia may change. Israel has a new prime minister. As they said in American Westerns, there is a new sheriff in town. On July 1, Yair Lapid was selected prime minister until the elections in November. In March, prior to becoming prime minister, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid strongly opposed the Russian invasion and said that there was “no justification” for Russia’s aggression.
Lapid comes from a family of journalists and activists, many of whom suffered under dictatorships. Yair Lapid’s father was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) to Hungarian Jewish parents. His maternal grandfather David Giladi was from Transylvania (now Romania). His paternal grandfather Bela (Meir) Lampel, a lawyer and Zionist activist, was murdered in Mauthausen concentration camp, while his great-grandmother Hermione Lampel was sent to Auschwitz, where she was murdered in a gas chamber.
Russia is not happy with the the new Israeli Prime Minister and Russia is even suspected of interfering with the upcoming elections in November that could oust Lapid. Moscow on July 1 condemned an alleged Israeli airstrike near a Russian stronghold in Syria calling Israel’s years-long air campaign in Syria “categorically unacceptable” and demanding it cease. (Times of Israel) Israel has said in the past that it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah group that has fighters deployed in Syria.
To spark further contention, yesterday the Russian government threatened to outlaw a private agency that helps Russian Jews immigrate to Israel. (Washington Post)
Sharansky, a former Prisoner of Zion in the Soviet Union, lauded Lapid’s criticism of Moscow, saying that Lapid “brought Israel out of global shame,” Sharansky said. “The fears of speaking the truth about the Russian invasion reminded me of the status of court Jews, who needed to say ‘yes’ to the leader. Israel is not a ‘court country,’ certainly not for Russia.”
Nord Stream 1 & 2 Gas Lines
Germany stopped funding of Nord Stream 1. Now, Russia stops delivering gas to on Nord Stream 2.
July 27 - Russia cuts the flow of natural gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to one-fifth capacity. Germany builds terminals for liquid natural gas.
Although 46% of Germany’s energy already comes from alternative sources: wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, Germany is highly dependent on Russia for energy. And as a punishment for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia cut back the amount of gas delivered to Germany.
In desperation and in fear of future Russian retaliation, Germany is looking to a different non-renewable resource, liquid natural gas (LNG). Germany, unlike other European nations has resisted moving to liquid gas, a more expensive alternative, and Germany has developed an overreliance on a single supplier, Russia. Germany has decided it needs its own fleet of floating terminals. These installations are for ships with apparatus to take chilled liquefied gas from seagoing tankers, warm it back into a vapor and move it onshore. The hope is for gas to start arriving in Germany before the end of winter as is needed for home heating. (NYTimes)
If there is success in importing L.N.G., it could smooth the way for German ports to become a hub for bringing in hydrogen (a renewal source), which may have a future as a fuel as the European Union promotes a greener substitute for natural gas in the fight against climate change.
See BBC on the future of fusion as possible energy source. (Note: fission is the kind of energy used today in nuclear plants.)
July 27 - Russia Threatens to withdraw from the International Space Station
In a ‘if you won’t play my way, I’ll take my ball and go home strategy, the new head of Russia’s space agency said that Russia will leave the International Space Station by 2024. This signals an end to one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Russia and the United States.
In fairness, Russian officials have discussed leaving the ISS project since last year, citing aging equipment and growing safety risks. NASA said that it plans to continue operating the space station through the end of 2030.
July 27 - New Prosecutor General in Ukraine.
Andriy Kostin, a parliamentarian from President Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, has been selected as Ukraine’s new Prosecutor General. He was approved by parliament with 299 votes. He replaces Irina Venediktova.
I don’t know how well this new Prosecutor will do, either.
Kostin was a candidate in the 2021 competition for the Ukrainian Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Transparency International Ukraine argued that Kostin did not satisfy the integrity criteria of the competition and he was not chosen because he was accused of possible nepotism in the hiring of his wife as well as the fact that Kostin sold two flats in Odessa for a total of $32,000 without reporting the sale to the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC).
Oh, well…
BillBoard built in occupied Ukraine
New Russian billboards in occupied Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine - "Russians and Ukrainians are one people, one whole," "Russia is here forever!"
Image and text: Twitter - July 27, 2022. Tadeusz Gibran, Belarusian journalist.