Commentary
Dmitri Trenin
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Source: Getty
Commentary
A Message to Israel and a Message from Israel
Vladimir Putin’s respectful message on the passing of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proves that to quite a few Russian supporters of a strong state, Israel is the ideal in terms of the cohesion existing between the state and the nation, the effectiveness of and coordination among the military, intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, and defense of its interests.
Published on Jan 13, 2014
Vladimir Putin's message last Friday to the Israeli leaders on the passing of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spoke about Sharon's "high personal qualities," his efforts "to defend Israel's interests," the "respect he enjoyed with his compatriots," and his cutting a "figure of authority on the world stage." President Putin dispatched State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin to Sharon's funeral.
The language of Putin's condolences and the level of Russia's representation are consonant with what has been heard from Washington and London. Sharon's life and legacy were also extensively and generally positively covered by state-run Russian TV. It is particularly striking because of Sharon's reputation as a tough military commander and a hawkish political leader.
These features, however, may be the key to understanding the respect with which President Putin and Russian government officials usually reserve for the State of Israel. They see the Israelis as serious in both word and deed, united by a strong sense of national solidarity, resolute and confident in their defense of the national interest, capable of standing up to criticism from much of the rest of the world, and—crucially—led by weathered individuals not emasculated by political correctness.
To quite a few Russian gosudarstvenniki, supporters of a strong state, Israel is the ideal in terms of the cohesion existing between the state and the nation, the effectiveness of and coordination among its military, intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, and the defense of its interests in the regional and global context. They also appreciate strong leadership when they see it. For Russia to approach that ideal, however, strong personal leadership is not enough. Rather, the country needs to start building a nation. Greater civic solidarity in exchange for more government accountability would be a good start.
About the Author
Dmitri Trenin
Former Director, Carnegie Moscow Center
Trenin was director of the Carnegie Moscow Center from 2008 to early 2022.
- Mapping Russia’s New Approach to the Post-Soviet Space
- What a Week of Talks Between Russia and the West RevealedCommentary
Dmitri Trenin
Recent Work
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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