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Intel: Why Russia’s warming ties with Israel may lead Moscow to embrace Trump’s peace plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin pardoned a young Israeli accused of drug charges ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. The release of Naama Issachar, who had been sentenced to 7½ years in prison, ends a bitter controversy that had plagued relations between the two countries.

Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the World Holocaust Forum marking 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz, at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool - RC2RLE9EVQ76
Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, chairman of the Yad Vashem Council, speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the World Holocaust Forum, marking 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz, at Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, Jan. 23, 2020. — REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool

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Why it matters:  Relations between Russia and Israel turned frosty following Israel’s extradition of Russian citizen Alexei Burkov to the United States Nov. 12, 2019, on charges of complicity in cybercrimes. At the time, Moscow expected Burkov to be swapped for Issachar.

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