Israel Security Expert & ex-adviser to Netanyahu killed in donbass Ukraine

   

A former adviser to Netanyahu killed in the Donbass: a few questions for Israel  

Two weeks ago during the battle for the Pervomaisk, the charred corpse of a member of the Ukrainian volunteer battalion “Donbass” was found, which had an Israeli passport #10933029 in the name of Michael Falkov, born in 1977. A source told the correspondent in the information and analytical centre of the Council of national security and defence of Ukraine (NSDC), told IA Regnum on condition of anonymity. 

Security forces in Kiev suspect that the death of the Israeli came not as a result of gunshot or shrapnel wounds, but as a result of torture. The command of the “anti-terrorist operation” (ATO) was informed about the corpse with an Israeli passport almost a week after discovery. The Ukrainian government imposed a ban on the disclosure of information about the incident.

It was determined that the victim was no ordinary Israeli. In the recent past, Falkov was a staff advisor to Netanyahu. Previously Falkov was a strategic advisor to Avigdor Liberman, Minister of foreign Affairs. Falkow had friendly relations with another member of the government, the Minister of economy Naftali Bennett, who was Falkov’s supervisor while he was working for Netanyahu. 

The NSDC does not exclude the possibility that this personal event may influence Tel Aviv’s stance on the Ukrainian events. Israel did not support the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia, but Liberman maintains warm relations with the new Kiev authorities. Therefore, Ukrainian officials are trying to convince the Israelis that Falkov allegedly was the victim of the Russian security services.

The death of Falkov was the real cause of the sudden three-day visit of Israeli parliamentarians on Ukraine on Aug 19-22. Those who visited Kiev included Deputy interior Minister Faina Kirschenbaum, Chairman of the parliamentary Commission on foreign Affairs and defense Ze’ev Elkin, and Deputy Alex Miller. According to the information of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv, these three had for many years had a ‘business relationship’ with Falkov. Kirschenbaum currently holds the post of Director-General of Liberman’s party, Israel Beiteinu. When Falkov was a strategic advisor to Liberman, Kirschenbaum was his direct boss.

In recent years, until the end of April last year, Falkov was considered to be the owner and editor of one of the Russian web sites in Israel. Its task was to serve the interests of the party of Liberman in the media market. Falkov even used this web site as a cover to collect compromising information about officials and businessmen in Russia and Ukraine who have Israeli citizenship, property or relatives in Israel. 

Another object of his interests was Israeli officials, politicians, businessmen, immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Falkov usually brought the confidential information gathered in this way to Kirschenbaum. This activity was covered on the website of Falkov more often than other Israeli politicians.

The death in the Donbass of this former adviser to Netanyahu and Liberman begs several questions. First, was he in the war zone on his own initiative, or was he sent there by the former executives? If the latter, then what was the purpose? 

This raises the question about the real interests of Tel Aviv in the Ukrainian conflict. And finally, the most unexpected question. 

A few years ago, the Deputy Elkin told a colleague from the Federation Council that the so-called ‘Falkov archive’ consists of hundreds of folders in which were collected information on thousands of Russian-speaking Israelis and hundreds of Russian and Ukrainian officials and businessmen. I wonder where, how and who “floats” these materials after the death of Falkov?