Israel’s ambassador to Russia will step down from her post ahead of schedule, the RBC news outlet reported Monday, citing a diplomatic source familiar with the matter.
Simona Halperin, who was appointed in May 2023, will reportedly return to Israel to lead the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s European Affairs Department.
Israel’s embassy in Moscow has not yet officially commented on Halperin’s reported planned departure. The Moscow Times has reached out for comment.
In January 2024, Halperin was summoned to Russia’s Foreign Ministry after criticizing Moscow’s stance on the October 7 Hamas attacks during an interview with the Kommersant business newspaper.
In the interview, she condemned Russia for refusing to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, accusing authorities in Moscow of “embracing” and “rolling out the red carpet” for the militant group.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry at the time called her remarks “an extremely unfortunate start to a diplomatic mission.”
Still, in the same interview, Halperin also noted Israeli-Russian cooperation in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Before her posting in Moscow, Halperin headed the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Eurasia and Western Balkans Department. She previously served as ambassador to Singapore and East Timor, and led the Israeli Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan.
Halperin was born in Riga in the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. She grew up in Leningrad, later emigrating to Israel in 1976 under the country’s repatriation program.
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