A million "Russian" Jews have been offered to leave Israel.
ALL Jews who emigrated to Israel from Russia are advised to return home as soon as possible. This statement came from a highly authoritative figure - one of the leaders of the prominent Palestinian movement Hamas, Abdel al-Rantisi - and therefore deserves serious consideration. And not only within the Russian-speaking diaspora in Israel.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly indicated to "Russian Israelis" that they consider their presence in the region excessive. The influx of immigrants from Russia continues, with the diaspora exceeding one million people, and the newcomers are often pushing local Arabs out of many positions in production, educational institutions, and military units.
As recent elections to the legislative bodies of Israel have shown, those from Russia are increasingly striving to play a significant and noticeable role in politics. Initially, they secured seats for their leaders in the Knesset and local government bodies primarily through numbers, but now they have successfully added skill to this component. Moreover, the "Russian" electorate in Israel predominantly holds right-wing and nationalist-patriotic sentiments, which the politicians they delegate to power are forced to consider in their actions. Hence, their tough statements and votes on most issues concerning the Israeli leadership's behavior towards the Palestinians, as well as their desire to lobby for anti-Arab actions in the political environments of other countries, especially in their former homeland, i.e., Russia.
Sooner or later, the expansion of influence by "Russian" competitors in the small space of the Middle East was bound to provoke more active measures from Palestinian politicians. Since previous gentle admonitions and warnings through journalistic or diplomatic channels yielded no noticeable results, some of the more zealous leaders of militant groups decided to remind "Russian Israelis" of the existence of more radical measures to influence their consciousness.
The aforementioned Abdel al-Rantisi, recommending repatriates to return to Russia as soon as possible, drew their attention to the recent explosions at a disco and restaurant in Jerusalem.
"Consider yourselves warned!" he ominously stated in his speech on one of the cable channels in Qatar. He added that he fully approves of such methods of fighting against Israel.
In this context, the June tragedy at the Jerusalem disco "Dolphin," which claimed the lives of twenty boys and girls, is perceived somewhat differently. Was it really a coincidence that the location for the terrorist act was chosen? Not only in the sense that the victims of the radical group "Islamic Jihad" were young Israelis, but also in that "Dolphin" was primarily frequented by children of repatriates from Russia and other CIS countries. It was their bodies that were, by a higher command, thrown into that fateful night on the altar of the Middle Eastern slaughter.
If this happened intentionally, if the young generation of "Russian Israelis" was specifically targeted, and now - not as a preemptive measure but as a follow-up, which gives this process an even more sinister character - a warning has been voiced about a new branch of jihad, then this introduces new nuances into the ongoing processes in the region. There is a reason to not only reflect on what is happening but perhaps also to make corresponding adjustments to Russian diplomats' Middle Eastern policy. Are we really indifferent to what happens to our former compatriots, swept by the winds of fate to the foot of Zion? Do they need our direct protection, or at least indirect support? Do we need them, or do we consider them "cut-off pieces" that, once out of sight, are out of mind? But each of these "pieces" was, 30 years or 30 months ago, part of some Russian community, familial or professional, and most of its other members remain among us and sometimes receive news from the Promised Land with bated breath. And not only from there but also from much more phlegmatic regions like the Baltics.
It so happens that millions of former Russians, whether by their own choice or often due to the actions of our own Russian political leaders, now live abroad, yet they do not lose touch with the metropolis, often retaining, at least in the distant depths of their souls, hopes for its support in difficult times. Such a situation in the world is far from exotic; representatives of dozens of nations have scattered across the globe. And few metropolises manage such a situation as poorly as Russia. For the USA, the presence of even a handful of Americans anywhere in the world has often served as a pretext for military or more often political-diplomatic aggression. Concern for the interests of "their" diaspora can always turn into lobbying for their own political interests in that country or region when necessary. While this may sound rather cynical, politics in general and diplomacy in particular are inherently cynical due to the nature of their goals and content.
For well-known reasons, Russia has lost a significant part of its ability to influence processes occurring in the same Middle East or the same Baltics. But if it intends to maintain its status as a world power, which must be respected by major political partners and even more so by smaller ones, due to its geographical size and military strength, it must seek new, half-forgotten, or yet untested levers of influence on the situation in various regions of the planet - for, excuse me, selfish but legitimate interests and, even more so, for maintaining peace and tranquility in this part of the globe. Fortunately, we have someone to learn this from.