Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem on February 13, 2022. (Photo by Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

This story originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said Monday that Israel will back a UN vote to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine.

Lapid added that the United States “realizes that there are issues that require our consideration,” referring to Israel’s response to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He noted Israel’s “cooperation mechanism with [Russia] assists in our determined battle against Iranian entrenchment on our northern border.”

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This comes after Israel sat out a UN Security Council vote on condemning Russia last week.

“Israel has been and will be on the right side of history. Those are our values,” the foreign minister said, adding that the country is “thoroughly examining the potential impact of sanctions on Russia.” Lapid also noted that Israel has sent three planes containing a large supply of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Lapid said Israel “will do everything it takes to ensure no Israeli or Jew is left behind, but this is not easy. The Foreign Ministry is spearheading one of the most complicated operations in the country’s history.” He noted that 180 thousand Ukrainians are eligible to immigrate to Israel under the country’s Law of Return.’

“Our organizing principle is clear: We are taking care of Israelis, we are taking care of Jews, and our hearts are with the citizens of Ukraine,” Lapid finished.

On Friday, the American delegation to the UN appealed to all envoys of states not represented in the Security Council, including Ambassador Gilad Erdan, and asked their support for the condemnation the U.S. was seeking. This was meant to allow the U.S. administration to present resounding support for the condemnation.

Jerusalem deliberated for hours, finally instructing Erdan not to join the proposal.

This story originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission.

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