A Strategic Alliance: An Exploration of Israeli-Russian Relations
This paper offers an exploration of various facets of the Israeli-Russian political relationship. The positive relationship between the two states seems unlikely considering each state’s history and strategic alliances, though Israel and Russia have endeavored towards a strong working relationship since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. This paper first explores the history of the relationship between the former Soviet Union/Russia and Israel from the formation of Israel in 1948 to the present day. The historical arc is used in an attempt to explain the development of the current relationship. Next, this paper explains the current status of the relationship, particularly through Vladimir Putin’s leadership of Russia and his diplomatic relationship with Israeli leaders Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu. I then turn to the multiple facets of the strategic alliance, including military, economic, technological, and cultural partnerships. Lastly, this paper summarizes the implications of the Israeli-Russian alliance on Middle Eastern and international geopolitics.
Russia and Israel under Yeltsin
important successor state put a new focus on the rapidly changing relations between Moscow and Jerusalem. From the 1967 war until Mikhail Gorbachev began his policy of perestroika twenty years later, Soviet policy-makers viewed Israel as a pariah state. In the latter years of the Gorbachev era, however, there was a major turnabout in Soviet policy toward Israel, and by the time the Soviet Union had collapsed in December 1991, full diplomatic relations had been restored between the two countries and trade had begun to develop. In the subsequent six years, relations between Russia and Israel have had a series of ups and downs. This paper will analyze the evolution of Russian-Israeli relations from the collapse of the USSR in December 1991 until Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov's visit to the Middle East in October 1997. Prior to undertaking this analysis, however, it is necessary to examine both the course of Russian domestic politics during this period and also the often disjointed foreign policy-making process in Russia, since both factors have had a significant impact on Russian foreign policy toward Israel. In addition, a review will be made of the new regional priorities in Russian foreign policy toward the Middle East, so as to put Russian-Israeli relations in the proper perspective.
THE WHORE AND THE OTHER
This article examines the dominant images of female immigrants to Israel from the former USSR. The analysis considers the intersection between gender, class, and race in the context of the problematic status of female immigrants. Portrayals of the female immigrants are studied through a qualitative content analysis of news items in the Israeli popular press during the years 1994-1997. The results suggest that the female immigrant appears in the Israeli press primarily in two negative images: as a supplier of sexual services and as the “other,” not one of “us.” A third image of the “exceptional immigrant” occasionally appears. Popular press items and the results of a preliminary phone survey of a representative sample of the Jewish population are quite consistent. The survey indicates that 65 percent of the respondents hold negative attitudes toward the immigrants, the most salient of which associates them with the sex industry.