Relationship dossier
Israel
Russia
Relationship assessment
Pragmatic ties and Syria coordination amid disputes over Ukraine and regional security
Israel toward Russia
0Israel has maintained military deconfliction with Russia in Syria to reduce the risk of clashes. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Israel condemned the invasion and provided humanitarian assistance, while declining to join Western sanctions.
Russia toward Israel
-5Russia has maintained military deconfliction with Israel in Syria, while also hosting Hamas representatives and criticizing Israeli military actions in the region. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further strained ties.
Overall relationship
0The relationship combines practical military coordination in Syria with significant policy disagreements over Ukraine and regional security. Continued government contacts and the deconfliction arrangement coexist with strained political ties and divergent approaches to the Middle East.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Israel and Russia have maintained pragmatic government ties, including military deconfliction in Syria, while their policies diverge over Ukraine and the regional conflicts. Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and provided humanitarian assistance, but did not join Western sanctions. Russia has maintained contacts with Hamas and criticized Israeli military actions, even as practical coordination in Syria has continued.
Areas of tension
- Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while declining to join Western sanctions.
- Russia has hosted Hamas representatives, a source of concern for Israel.
- Russia has criticized Israeli military actions in the region.
Key developments
Israel and Russia established military deconfliction to reduce the risk of clashes during operations in Syria.
Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and provided humanitarian assistance, but did not join Western sanctions.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and operation of Israeli-Russian military deconfliction in Syria are unclear.
- The extent of recent direct government cooperation beyond Syria is unclear.