Relations between Ukraine and Israel appear to be entering a period of cautious rapprochement, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaching out directly to President Volodymyr Zelensky as Israel approaches national elections.
In a letter marking Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24, Netanyahu congratulated Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, praised Ukraine’s resilience, and described Iran as a common threat facing both countries.
Zelensky made the letter public two days later, saying Ukraine and Israel share deep ties between their societies, economies, and cultures.
“It is therefore good to hear of Israel’s desire to strengthen these existing ties,” Zelensky wrote. He added that Kyiv was counting on productive cooperation to increase security.
Netanyahu also added a handwritten note referring to his brief meeting with Zelensky in Washington in late July.
The Washington meeting
The two leaders spoke and shook hands at the funeral of the late US Sen. Lindsey Graham on July 28, during Zelensky’s visit to Washington. It was their first face-to-face contact since September 2023 and their first reported conversation since January 2025.
Attempts to arrange a formal bilateral meeting in Washington did not produce one, but the brief exchange was described as cordial.
The same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and invited him to visit Israel. Sa’ar identified Iran as a threat facing both countries and said he wanted to deepen cooperation with Ukraine.
The contacts marked a noticeable change after several years of complicated relations between Kyiv and Jerusalem.
Stolen grain strained relations
Israel has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid, advanced early-warning technology, generators, and components for Patriot systems since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. It has nevertheless resisted Kyiv’s requests for major Israeli weapons systems and maintained channels with Moscow.
Relations then deteriorated sharply in April over grain shipments to Haifa that Kyiv said originated in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ukraine first called on Israel to investigate after the Russian vessel Abinsk arrived in Haifa carrying wheat allegedly taken from occupied Ukraine. Kyiv later asked Israeli authorities to arrest the shipment, but the vessel left and the cargo was never detained.
The dispute escalated when a second vessel, the Panormitis, approached Haifa with another cargo allegedly linked to occupied Ukrainian territory. Kyiv summoned then Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky and prepared an official protest note.
Sa’ar dismissed Kyiv’s public criticism as “Twitter diplomacy,” arguing that Israel had not received a formal request to seize the vessel or detain the cargo. The Israeli foreign ministry later said Ukraine’s legal-assistance request contained factual gaps and lacked supporting evidence.
The Israeli importer ultimately rejected the Panormitis cargo, but the public dispute exposed broader tensions over Israeli military assistance, Ukraine’s voting record at the UN, and the way the two governments communicated.
Iran creates common ground
The US-Israeli war against Iran has created significantly more common ground between Kyiv and Jerusalem.
Iranian-made Shahed drones have been used extensively by Russia against Ukraine, giving Kyiv years of experience in intercepting the weapons that are also central to Israel’s security concerns.
In March, Kyiv Post reported that Jerusalem had approached Ukraine about possible cooperation against Iranian drones. A source in Zelensky’s office said Ukraine was open to working with Israel and could share operational experience and domestically produced drones. Kyiv, in return, expected greater Israeli military support.
Ukraine has since expanded its role in the Middle East by offering its drone-interception experience to regional partners while developing relations with Israel and the Gulf states.
Israel has remained sensitive to Ukraine’s contacts with regional governments that have difficult relations with Jerusalem. These tensions were among the issues in a July Kyiv Post analysis of what the Iran war means for Ukraine.
Elections
The current improvement in relations is unlikely to produce an immediate major change in Israeli policy toward Ukraine, despite support for closer cooperation in some Israeli political and security circles.
Israel will hold national elections on Oct. 27. The president will then consult the parties elected to the Knesset and assign a member of parliament to form a government.
Under Israeli law, that person initially receives 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible extension of up to 14 days. The process could therefore continue into December, and longer if the first nominee fails.
A Kyiv Post source in Jerusalem said they do not expect major decisions concerning Ukraine before the election and the formation of the next Israeli government.
According to the source, the largest window for significantly expanding Israeli assistance to Ukraine opened roughly two years ago. No comparable shift should be expected during the current election period.
For now, the rapprochement is therefore more likely to produce renewed political dialogue and work on specific areas of common interest than an immediate change in military assistance.
The election will determine whether Netanyahu remains in office or a new coalition takes power. Kyiv is already positioning itself to work with the government that emerges.