With the coming of spring, the political scene in Moscow appears to be flourishing, with a number of distinguished foreign guests visiting. Among others, these have included top-level Israeli politicians.

First came an official visit by Isaac Herzog, a leader of the parliamentary opposition and head of the Israeli Labor Party. The March 6-7 trip included meetings with representatives of both chambers of Russia's parliament and the Foreign Ministry, as well as personal negotiations with Mikhail Bogdanov, the deputy foreign minister and special envoy to the Middle East and Africa.

Accompanied by the Knesset speaker and the Israeli ambassador to Russia, Herzog also met with the leadership of the Russian Jewish community and visited two museums, where he endorsed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in the Middle East: “I greatly respect … Putin. Today he has the special opportunity of being able to improve the situation in the Middle East.”

No sooner had Herzog left Moscow than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to town March 9. Netanyahu’s visit lasted less than a day and included only one event — meeting with Putin. Evidently the importance of the issues discussed was worth the trips, though it is remarkable that Netanyahu and Herzog came to Moscow separately rather than as part of one delegation.