Media reports Israeli ambassador to leave Russia early
(MENAFN) Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin is set to end her mission in Moscow earlier than planned due to a new appointment, Russian media reported on Monday, citing embassy sources. She is expected to remain in Russia until at least October before departing.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on X that Halperin has been appointed deputy director-general for Europe but did not clarify if she would leave Russia immediately. Embassy officials confirmed she would stay until autumn, with no successor named yet.
Born in Riga in 1969, Halperin moved to Israel in 1976 after living in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). She has worked in the Israeli Foreign Ministry since 1993 and took up the ambassadorial post in Russia in November 2024. Her tenure began amid controversy after she criticized Russia’s refusal to label Hamas as a terrorist group following the October 7 attacks, prompting a rebuke from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Since then, her time in Moscow has been relatively calm. Halperin later commended Russia-Israel cooperation in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. Russia maintains official relations with both Israel and Palestine, advocating for a balanced diplomatic approach and supporting a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. Moscow condemned both the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the civilian casualties from Israeli Defense Forces strikes in Gaza.
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