Senior Israeli officials including Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel and representatives of the Foreign Ministry and several municipalities attended a reception Sunday in Jerusalem organized by the Russian Embassy, listening as Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov delivered a harsh anti-Western speech.
The reception at Jerusalem's Sergei Courtyard celebrated Russia Day, the national holiday of the Russian Federation. The Foreign Ministry was represented by the head of its Euro-Asia and Western Balkans Division, Simona Halperin, who was recently nominated Israel’s new ambassador to Russia, and two other officials.
After his speech, Viktorov cut the ribbon for a documentary photo exhibition, put together by the Russia state news agency TASS, dedicated to the history of bilateral relations since the founding of the state of Israel 75 years go. Tweets by the Russian Embassy show Gamliel at the reception alongside Viktorov and the ambassador holding a glass of champagne.
Ynet quoted Viktorov as saying at the reception, "Today, the Western countries are waging a long-planned total hybrid war against Russia, including in information, economy, psychology and culture, and using the most primitive and worst methods to affect Russia's good name." He went on, "Russia will oppose the attempts of representatives of the Kyiv regime and their Western patrons to evade responsibility and mislead the international community and to cover up the monstrous crimes of Ukrainian groups against the civilian population of Ukraine and Russia."
