Israeli Envoy Meets Heads Of Jewish Community In Russia

Israeli Vice Premier, Minister of Construction Natan Sharansky discussed prospects for Israeli settlement with heads of Russia's Jewish community in Moscow on Tuesday evening, Head Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazaar told RIA Novosti. Israel does not intend to occupy the territories where Israeli troops were deployed, Natan Sharansky noted, in particular. The Palestinian administration has shown that it is not ready to fight anti-Israeli terror, the minister said. So Israel has to answer the question, "To be or not to be?" According to Natan Sharansky, he arrived in Russia on the instructions of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to explain Tel Aviv's standpoint to the Russian government. Sharansky managed to find a common language with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Berl Lazaar said.