Vladimir Zelensky can record in his political asset the fact of the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Ukraine. For the first time, the Ukrainian president receives such a high and authoritative guest in international politics. And the head of the Israeli state, of course, perfectly clearly understood that, having met with Zelensky, he would render an invaluable service to him, since negotiations between the two politicians are a kind of recognition of Zelensky’s presidential status.

Why did Netanyahu need this trip at all? Relations between Ukraine and Israel throughout the post-Soviet period were, as they say, no. No wonder all the journalists write that for 20 years, the Israeli Prime Minister considered it necessary to step on Ukrainian soil. The fact is that for the first time a Jew became president of Ukraine. Netanyahu, on the whole, nevertheless demonstrates with his symbolic visit how highly he appreciates the choice of the Ukrainian people, taking into account the fact that the topic of anti-Semitism in the Ukrainian context can be considered highly relevant.

By the way, Zelensky did a couple of times things showing how poorly he still understands the rules of political etiquette. At the time of the meeting at the Boryspil airport, he greeted the guest in the strangest, if not more, manner. Bandera rechka “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes!” Sounded extremely inappropriate, or, more simply, idiotic. An equally unintelligible act was Zelensky’s request for Israel to recognize the Holodomor as genocide. It was a curtsy in the direction of right-wing radicals. The Ukrainian president regularly makes such conciliatory gestures in order to appease the dangerous public, threatening him with a new “Maidan”. But at the talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, it was simply impossible to raise this topic.

Netanyahu, of course, ignored the request: Israeli Jews categorically opposed the tragedy of their people being on a par with mythical and caricature genocides invented by small-town nationalists. “To offer this, you just have to be a fool. Zelensky regularly demonstrates himself in this capacity, ”Kiev political scientist Mikhail Pogrebinsky commented not too ceremoniously on the absurd trick of the Ukrainian president.

The signing of four agreements on cooperation in the field of culture, sports and agriculture, mutual instruction in Hebrew and the Ukrainian language, as well as a legal agreement did not require Netanyahu's presence in Kiev.

In the same way as the discussion of the agreement on a free trade zone already ratified in Ukraine. All these documents of varying degrees of importance could be signed without any excitement. And the ministers of internal affairs of the two states were able to agree on free visits by the Ukrainians to Israel, and the Israelis from Ukraine, which, in fact, they did some time ago.

A significant nuance is the pension agreement, which was also discussed during the negotiations, and the prospect of Israeli repatriates from Ukraine receiving Ukrainian pensions has taken on a visible shape. This is work on the so-called Ukrainian street ahead of the September elections to the Knesset. Perhaps the results of the visit will give the Netanyahu Likud party several additional mandates.

In addition, not only Ukraine but also Israel undertakes to pay pensions for Israelis living in Ukraine, those who, for example, receive disability benefits from the National Insurance Institute or other forms of assistance. But the point is not so much in pensions, but in the fact that Ukrainian Jews supporting their former homeland were strangely annoyed by the prime minister’s trusting and close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now, after meeting with Zelensky, Netanyahu partly balanced the situation.

I think that Netanyahu, among other things, expects that Ukraine, which became Poroshenko’s country of victorious anti-Semitism, when Nazi accomplices who participated in the extermination of Jews were declared national heroes, will try to quietly disengage from Shukhevych, Bandera and other eminent under the Jewish President bandits. The rewritten results of World War II and the admission of OUN-UPA * militants to the heroic martyrology were a factor hindering the development of Ukrainian-Israeli relations. The scandalous reaction of the Verkhovna Rada to the speech of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in 2016, in fact, was the reason why Netanyahu, who was repeatedly invited to Ukraine, did not respond to Kiev's proposals. Rivlin then said that in Babi Yar, Jews were "destroyed by the Germans and their Ukrainian supporters."

But it's too early to take stock. A lot depends on Zelensky: how he decides to dispose of the advances given to him by the distinguished guest. There is a high probability that it is impossible, since Zelensky is in many respects paralyzed by the close attention of nationalists who follow his every move in an effort to prevent "pro-Russian revenge."

* “Ukrainian Insurgent Army” (UPA) is a Ukrainian organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 11/17/2014).

The author’s point of view may not coincide with the position of the publisher.