The influence of Russian speakers on society and government in Israel

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Regional Studies Department, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran

2 MA in regional studies, University of Tehran

3 MA in regional studies, University of Allameh Tabatabaee

10.22124/wp.2026.33900.3678

Abstract

Since the inception of the Zionist movement, Russian Jews have been prominent activists in this movement, and through significant efforts, they established the Jewish state. The first wave of Israeli politicians, before and after the creation of the Jewish state, who spoke Russian, Yiddish, and Polish, greatly influenced the social and cultural fabric of the early decades of Israel. The leaders of the Soviet Union supported the establishment of the Jewish state, but they disagreed with the Israeli government regarding the immigration of Russian Jews. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin and later Vladimir Putin established close relations with the Israeli government and society. The main question of this paper is: what position do Russian speakers hold in Israeli society and government? In response, it was hypothesized that Russian speakers, due to their social status, economic, and political influence, are the strongest influential minority over the Israeli government. This paper, using a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach, examines the intertwining of Russian speakers in Israeli society and how this group's power is arranged within political, economic, and social structures.

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