Putin, Netanyahu Near Deal on Israeli’s Release, Report Says
Putin, Netanyahu Near Deal on Israeli’s Release, Report Says
(Bloomberg) -- Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Israel, the countries are nearing agreement on the terms for releasing an Israeli-American backpacker jailed in Moscow on drug-smuggling charges, The Times of Israel reported.
Options include an immediate pardon for 26-year-old Naama Issachar, or sending her back to Israel to continue her prison sentence until she can be pardoned quietly, the news site reported on Tuesday, without saying where it got the information.
Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to discuss the case on Thursday. According to Channel 13 news, Russia has requested a number of concessions from Israel in exchange for the Israeli woman’s freedom, including the resolution of a dispute over construction at a Russian-owned complex in Jerusalem.
Moscow would also like Netanyahu to back its narrative of World War II at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp this week, Times of Israel cited Channel 12 as reporting.
The Kremlin wants to deflect renewed attention to Moscow’s non-aggression pact and carve-up of territory with the Nazi regime at the beginning of the war to focus on its key role in vanquishing Adolf Hitler after Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
“I anticipate meeting with President Putin on Thursday and talking with him about a pardon for Naama,” Netanyahu said in a statement Monday. “Like you, I hope for good news.” His office declined to comment further Tuesday.
Issachar was detained in April and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in a Russian prison after a small quantity of hashish was discovered in her luggage on a transit flight via Moscow. Her case has become a cause celebre in Israel, where she’s widely regarded as a pawn in a political game.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gwen Ackerman in Jerusalem at gackerman@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Riad Hamade at rhamade@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Paul Abelsky
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