The times of Israel: In first such event, Russia celebrates its national day in Jerusalem
Ambassador Anatoly Viktorov notes Moscow's recognition of western part of the city as Israel's capital but stresses that eastern section belongs to the Palestinians.
21:34 / 15 июня 2018
The Russian Embassy in Israel on Thursday evening for the first time hosted its National Day reception in Jerusalem, a nod to Moscow’s April 2017 recognition of Western Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The ritzy event took place at Sergei’s Courtyard, a historic complex in the central Jerusalem district known as the Russian Compound, which Israeli authorities handed to Russia a decade ago in a goodwill gesture.
It is widely believed to be the first-ever national day event by a foreign embassy to take place in Jerusalem.