Tel Aviv University Hosted a Conference Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Restoration of Diplomatic Relations Between Russia and Israel

On December 15, Tel Aviv University hosted a conference dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Russia and Israel. The event was organized by Tel Aviv University in cooperation with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, with the participation of the Russian Embassy and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Leading researchers, diplomats, and statesmen from both the Russian Federation and Israel discussed key issues of cooperation between the two nations, analyzed the current state of affairs, and presented reports on joint scientific achievements.

The conference was attended by the President of Tel Aviv University Prof. Ariel Porat, the Director of the Euro-Asia Department at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yacov Livne, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Israel Anatoly Viktorov, the President of the EAJC Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili, the Chairman of the EAJC Board Aaron G. Frenkel, as well as the Director General of the EAJC Dr. Haim Ben Yakov and other distinguished guests.

The President of Tel Aviv University, Prof. Ariel Porat, delivered the welcoming address to the organizers and participants of the conference. He emphasized the unique bond between the Russian Federation and Israel in the fields of science and culture, which serves as a solid foundation for building diplomatic bridges. An illustrative example of this, according to him, was the conference held at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, titled "Mishpat Ivri: Past, Present, and Future," dedicated to the centenary of the establishment of the "Mishpat Ivri" Society in Moscow. The event, which took place in July 2018, concluded a significant period of academic research in the field of Jewish law.

Additionally, Prof. Porat announced an exclusive exhibition celebrating the centenary of the premiere of the play "The Dybbuk". The exhibition "The Dybbuk, Vakhtangov, and Habima" is a joint project of the Vakhtangov Theatre and the Israeli Center for the Documentation of the Performing Arts at Tel Aviv University, with the cooperation of the I. Gabay Theatre Archive. It will present the complete history of "The Dybbuk"—from its Moscow premieres and international tours in the 1920s and 30s to the modern Israeli stage. Audiences of the Evgeny Vakhtangov Theatre will have the opportunity to view unique artifacts, sketches, scripts, costumes, and photographs from February 1 to February 12, 2022. The exhibition is organized by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Tel Aviv University, the Evgeny Vakhtangov Theatre, and the Israeli Embassy in Russia.

«It is worth recalling that the USSR was the first nation to recognize the State of Israel de jure in May 1948. Undeniably, our shared history has seen both highs and lows. Nevertheless, today we can state with confidence that mutually beneficial Russian-Israeli cooperation has stood the test of time and continues to develop dynamically in all areas,» stated the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov.

Welcoming the conference guests, Dr. Mikhail Mirilashvili emphasized the importance of preserving the record of the shared history of Russia and Israel. He noted that in recent years, the Congress has supported several research projects in this field. Among these is the declaration signed by the governments of the two countries in 2015 on the joint publication of Soviet-Israeli documents spanning from 1954 to the severing of diplomatic relations in 1967.

«The documents to be published in the near future will offer deeper insight into the highly tense relations between the USSR and Israel. It is highly significant that prominent scholars from both Russia and Israel are collaborating on this project. It is a great honor for us to support this initiative. The value of academic exchange for the advancement of modern interstate relations cannot be overstated,» the President of the EAJC remarked.

The head of the Israeli editorial group, a researcher at Tel Aviv University, Dr. Boris Morozov, presented the publication project of Soviet-Israeli documents, scheduled for release in 2022-2023. According to the researcher, the state archives of Israel and Russia have declassified approximately 2,000 unique documents relating to the period of 1954-1967. Among them is the encrypted telegram from the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee that led to the rupture of relations in 1967, as well as a decree of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee signed by USSR President Gorbachev in 1989 altering the «course regarding Israel». The project will feature documents concerning the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War, Israel's struggle for the repatriation of Jews from the USSR, and the mobilization of a massive public movement in the West to support it.

«This was a grueling period, marked by two wars. It was an era when the State of Israel fought for repatriation, while Soviet Jews themselves suffered under a severe wave of state-sponsored antisemitism,» the historian stated.

The Director of the Euro-Asia Department at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yacov Livne, commented specifically on the publication project of diplomatic documents during his speech, drawing attention to the "profound nature" of the ties between the two nations. «The primary achievement in the relations between our two countries is that we can now speak openly about the past. This applies both to our achievements and to the less pleasant chapters of our shared history—and we have nothing to hide,» Livne stated.

The Chairman of the EAJC Board, Aaron G. Frenkel, addressed the conference participants and guests, discussing the organization of the first charter flights for Jewish repatriates from the USSR, which were arranged with his personal assistance. elaborating on the details of those events, he shared his personal involvement in the operations.

«We worked in cooperation with Soviet airlines even before diplomatic relations were officially restored. These connections remain to this day. The history of the repatriation of Soviet Jews and the relations between Russia and Israel is, in my view, the direct embodiment of the phrase