For some reason, the Israeli ambassador to Moscow, for some reason, visited Cyril-“Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’”: can he send tourists too?

Also for increasing the number Tourists from the Russian Federation Did you agree to Israel? Only in this case – pilgrims.

Particularly emphasizing the “significance of the Holy Land for the Russian man, a warm attitude to these places among the people of Russia”, Cyril noted:

“I would like to emphasize that the Russian Orthodox Church has special relations with the Holy Land, as you know, and therefore with the state of Israel” .

And he added – “… I would like to thank everyone who provides, including from a political point of view, the safety of pilgrims, their stay in the Holy Land, as well as the functioning of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem”.

Patriarch Cyril is not just a clergyman, but a political propagandist loyal to the Kremlin.

His meetings with Israeli diplomats is an opportunity for Russia to show that Israel remains “neutral” and does not condemn Moscow aggression.

On February 6, 2025, in the Danilov Monastery in Moscow, a meeting of the Israeli ambassador in Russia Simon Galperin and Patriarch Kirill took place. He told about this Official site Moscow Patriarchate.

Simon Galperin noted that for her “a great honor to meet with the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.”

“I can say that for us in Israel and for me personally a great pleasure to welcome pilgrims from the Russian Federation in the country”– she said.

Officially Issues were discussed “Religious pilgrimage and safety in the Holy Land.” However, one cannot ignore the fact that Patriarch Kirill is not just the head of the Russian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodox Church), but one of the ideologists of the Russian war against Ukraine.

The meeting of the Israeli diplomat with this person raises questions: why does the state of Israel maintain a dialogue with a figure that justifies Russia’s aggression, denies international law and acts as a handle of Kremlin propaganda?

Who is Patriarch Kirill?

Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ Kirill (in the world Vladimir Gundyaev) – The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who over the years of his reign has turned into one of the key propagandists of the Putin regime.

🔹 Related to the KGB: Back in Soviet times, he was an agent of the KGB under the code name “Mikhailov”.
🔹 Justifies Russian aggression: He called the Russian war against Ukraine “a sacred struggle” and stated that the soldiers of the Russian Federation who died on the battlefield “are cleansed of sins.”
🔹 Blessing the war: He repeatedly conducted worship in support of the Russian military, consecrated weapons and military equipment.
🔹 Supports occupation: Actively supports the annexation of Crimea, Donbass and other territories of Ukraine.
🔹 Justifies the actions of terrorists: Hamas and Hezbollah avoids condemnation, while supporting the anti -Western rhetoric of the Kremlin.

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’ Kirill (in the world-Vladimir Gundyaev) was sanctioned by several countries due to its public support for Russian military aggression against Ukraine.

United Kingdom: On June 16, 2022, the British authorities submitted Patriarch Kirill to the sanctions list, accusing him of supporting Russian military aggression in Ukraine.

Canada: In 2022, Canada also imposed sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, joining international efforts to hold people who support Russian aggression.

Lithuania: Lithuanian authorities included Patriarch Kirill in their sanctions list, forbidding him entry into the country.

Ukraine: Ukraine applied sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, given his active support for Russia’s actions in Ukrainian territory.

In 2022, the European Union considered the possibility of imposing sanctions against Patriarch Kirill. However, at the insistence of Hungary, he was excluded from the sanctions list when discussing the sixth package of sanctions.

In December 2024, Hungary again blocked attempts to include Patriarch Kirill in the 15th package of EU sanctions, arguing this with the need to maintain opportunities for a peaceful dialogue.

Thus, Patriarch Kirill is under the sanctions of a number of Western countries that accuse him of supporting and justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine.

ROC – part of the Kremlin propaganda machine

Patriarch Kirill has long turned the Russian Orthodox Church into a tool of Russian state propaganda.

🔹 Official support of war: He repeatedly said that Russian troops “defend traditional values”, and the war against Ukraine is supposedly defending the Russian world.
🔹 Church awards for war criminals: The Russian Orthodox Church awards Russian generals responsible for the bombing of Ukrainian cities.
🔹 Enrichment at the expense of war: Cyril is one of the richest clergymen of the world, his fortune is estimated at billions of dollars, and church structures actively participate in the economic schemes of the Kremlin.

Why does Israel meet with such a person?

Russia is a terrorist country, but Israel continues to play “friendship”

Russia not only wages a bloody war against Ukraine, but also systematically votes against Israel in the international arena, supports terrorists and contributes to the destabilization of the Middle East.

🔹 Communication with Hamas: Moscow regularly accepts the leaders of the terrorist group, refusing to recognize Hamas as terrorists.
🔹 Hezbollah weapons. Russia has repeatedly transferred weapons through Syria and Iran.
🔹 Votes against Israel: Russia supports anti -Israeli resolutions in the UN and other international structures.
🔹 Anti -Semitic policy: Russian propaganda increasingly uses anti -Semitic motifs, accusing the “world Jewry” of a conspiracy against Russia.

Despite this, Israeli diplomats continue to conduct a dialogue with representatives of the terrorist country, without demanding from Russia to stop supporting the enemies of Israel.

What is the purpose of meeting with Patriarch Kirill?

The official version is a discussion of issues related to the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem and pilgrimage. However, this looks strange, given that Patriarch Kirill is not just a religious figure, but one of the pillars of the Putin regime.

Why is Israel interacting with a person who justifies the murders of Ukrainians, supports the Russian military machine and does not condemn the terrorists?

Religious pilgrimage from Russia to Israel: history, routes and modernity

Israel is one of the key centers of pilgrimage for Christians around the world, including Orthodox believers from Russia. Many Russians come to the Holy Land in order to visit the holy places associated with the life of Jesus Christ, Prophets and Apostles. However, in recent years, this process has been accompanied by changes associated with the political situation, sanctions and general tension in relations between Israel and Russia.

Historical context: How did the pilgrimage start?

The Russian Orthodox pilgrimage to the Holy Land has more than 200 years of history. In the 19th century, during the heyday of the Russian Empire, he was created Russian Palestinian Committeewho contributed to the organization of trips for believers. Later, in 1882, appeared Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society (IPPO)which was engaged in the construction of Russian temples and hotels in Jerusalem and other cities.

After the 1917 revolution and the establishment of Soviet power, the pilgrimage was sharply reduced. However, in the 1950s, after the resumption of diplomatic contacts between the USSR and Israel, small groups of pilgrims began to visit the Holy Land again.

With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the flow of Orthodox believers from Russia to Israel increased significantly. In the 2000s, thanks to the development of air traffic and the relative accessibility of visas, the pilgrimage became massive.

Key routes of pilgrims from Russia to Israel

Pilgrimage tours organized by Russian Orthodox communities and travel agencies usually include the following holy places:

• Jerusalem:
  • Temple of the Holy Sepulcher
  • Crying Wall (as part of Jewish heritage)
  • VIA Dolorosa (Crown Path)
  • Gethsemane Garden and Church of all nations
  • Mount Zion and Roli Secret Party
• Bethlehem:
  • Basilica of the Nativity of Christ
  • Christmas Cave
• Nazareth:
  • The temple of the Annunciation
• Galileo:
  • Mountain of bliss
  • Capernaum (the city where Jesus preached)
  • Tabha (place of multiplication of bread and fish)
• Jordan River (traditional place of baptism)
• Monasteries of the Jewish desert:
  • The laurel of St. Savva of the Boarded
  • Monastery of St. George Khosevit

Many pilgrims also visit Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalemwhich has been operating since 1847.

Modern realities: What changed after 2022?

After a full -scale invasion of Russia to Ukraine, a pilgrimage from the Russian Federation to Israel collided with a number of difficulties:

1. Visa issuance restrictions

   Israel tightened the visa regime for Russians, which made it difficult to enter for many pilgrims.

2. Growth of anti -Semitic rhetoric in Russia

   The Kremlin’s policy, justifying the attack on Ukraine and friendship with Iran and Hezbollah, negatively affected Russia’s perception in Israel.

3. Rupture of relations with the Patriarchate of Constantinople

   The Russian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodox Church) actively opposed the provision of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU), which led to tension between Orthodox structures.

4. Reducing the number of pilgrims

   According to pilgrimage organizations, the flow of Russians in Israel fell significantly. Earlier in the year came about 40,000 – 50,000 pilgrimsBut after 2022, their number decreased by about doubled.

5. Attempts by the Russian Orthodox Church to strengthen the influence

   Despite a difficult relationship with the West, Moscow continues to finance Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem And he seeks to expand his presence on the Holy Land.

The future of Orthodox pilgrimage from Russia to Israel

In the current situation, the pilgrimage remains accessible, but not as massly as in the 2010s. Visa restrictions, geopolitical factors and deterioration of the international image of Russia affect the possibility of Orthodox believers from the Russian Federation to visit the Holy Land.

At the same time The flow of pilgrims from Ukraine and other CIS countries continues to growsince many Ukrainians after 2022 began to travel to Israel more often, feeling great support from Israeli society.

It can be assumed that with a deterioration in the international reputation of Russia, its religious presence on the Holy Land can weaken, and Israel will cooperate more with Western Orthodox organizations.

Conclusion

The Orthodox pilgrimage from Russia to Israel has come a long way – from tsarist times to the post -Soviet heyday. However, against the backdrop of sanctions, the Kremlin’s aggressive policy and the isolation of Russia in the international arena, this process is no longer as unhindered as before. At the same time, Israel remains an important religious center that continues to accept pilgrims from around the world, including from Ukraine.

Conclusion: Israel is time to decide

While the United States and Europe are imposing strict sanctions against Russia, and the International Criminal Court demands to punish war criminals, for some reason, Israel continues to play “diplomacy” with accomplices of the Kremlin.

Patriarch Cyril is not just a clergyman, but a political propagandist loyal to the Kremlin.

His meetings with Israeli diplomats is an opportunity for Russia to show that Israel remains “neutral” and does not condemn Moscow aggression.

But is it possible to remain neutral when it comes to supporting war, murders of civilians and aiding terrorists?

Israel, as a country that itself is fighting terror, should make a clear choice: either support democratic values ​​and dissociate themselves from accomplices of the Kremlin military machine, or continue to play political games, turning a blind eye to Moscow crimes.

👉 Read more analysts and news on the site Nanovosti – Israeli News.

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