Context
Israel’s military attaché to Russia Col. Vadim Leiderman was suspected of espionage and deported from the country last week. Leiderman claims that the accusations are baseless and that the entire situation stemmed from a misapprehension. Israeli authorities have questioned Leiderman and say that that the allegations are found to be false. Military attaches hold key roles in Israel’s international missions. Jerusalem has substantial security and political interests in Russia and is now focusing on damage control.
The situation has developed when Israel is under pressure from US related to continuation of its settlement policy in occupied areas. Additionally, Israel and US want Russia to stop supporting Iran’s nuclear program and supplying it with advanced air defense systems.
