Moscow denied an Israeli media leak that Putin promised Netanyahu to thwart the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution demanding recognition of the state of Palestine accusing the Israeli media of lying

Moscow has denied a media leak alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to thwart the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution demanding recognition of the state of Palestine.

In a press briefing, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, described the allegations of the Israeli newspaper “Israel Hayom” as “totally absurd”, adding that “unreliable media leaks have unfortunately become a sign of our time”.

Zakharova added that misinformation of this kind is more discontent when it comes to official officials whose statements bring public attention, and they are the ones who formulate their countries’ internal and external policy.

The Israel Hayom newspaper, in its June 15 issue, claimed that Netanyahu narrated, during a closed meeting, that the administration of former US President Barack Obama had intended, in the end of 2016, to present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling on Israel to recognize the state of Palestine Within the limits of 1948.

According to the newspaper, Netanyahu then contacted Putin to ask him to prevent passing this resolution, and Putin agreed to this, while Obama retracted his intention and did not submit his draft resolution to the Security Council.

Zakharova commented on this, saying that the Israeli newspaper’s correspondent “does not seem aware of the reality of the Middle East”, noting that it is absolutely imaginative to imagine any US president proposing a return to an international resolution that represents the basis for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and it is a supported solution from Russia and most of the world.

Zakharova added that in 1988, Moscow recognized the state of Palestine within those borders, including East Jerusalem. 

As for the United States, if it wanted to recognize the state of Palestine, it would have been able to do that as a state, without resorting to the Security Council.