BREAKING NEWS

Israeli diplomat accused of espionage forced to leave Russia

Israeli diplomat accused

Israeli diplomat Shmuel Polishuk, who serves in Nativ, was forced to urgently leave Moscow after Russian authorities accused him of espionage, it was reported on Thursday. Israel had pressured Russia to prevent his official expulsion and even threatened a counter move, Ma'ariv reported. According to the report, it was eventually agreed upon that he would not be declared a 'persona non grata' but would have to leave the country. The Foreign Ministry did not provide any details other than saying that the issue was being examined by the foreign ministries of the two countries. Nativ is a body that operates under the Prime Minister's Office and its official capacity is to encourage aliya from Russia. In the past, Nativ was part of the intelligence community.