Putin's hand in Israel: How Russia is trying to bankrupt Jewish oligarchs who immigrated to the country
They fled Russia and received Israeli citizenship, but the Kremlin continues to pursue them. Moscow has initiated 22 legal proceedings against immigrants, attempting to seize their assets. A senior Israeli minister admits: "We are the only country in the West that allows such things."
In recent months, a large-scale struggle has been unfolding behind the scenes of Israel's civil judicial system: Russian authorities have initiated 22 legal proceedings against Jews who immigrated to Israel, in an attempt to seize assets remaining in their ownership. The value of the disputed property is estimated at at least 2 billion rubles (approximately 70 million shekels).
The proceedings are based on a 2018 agreement between Israel and Russia. Under this framework, Israel recognizes Russian court rulings—primarily bankruptcy declarations—by virtue of Part 9 of the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Law. According to experts, unlike Western nations that ceased cooperation with Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Israeli courts often act as a "rubber stamp," recognizing rulings without a substantive examination of the circumstances. Representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Justice attend hearings but state that their hands are tied.
The Case of Boris Spiegel
The most prominent figure among the 22 immigrants is 73-year-old Boris Spiegel, a former senator and owner of the pharmaceutical company "Biotech." In 2021, he was arrested in Russia and convicted in 2024 of bribery, receiving an 11-year sentence. In November 2024, due to his medical condition, he was released and reached Israel. His ex-wife, Evgenia Spiegel, remains imprisoned in Russia.
Russian authorities have confiscated all of Spiegel's property in Russia and are now attempting to seize his family villa in Savyon as part of a lawsuit exceeding 7 million shekels. Lawyer Mark Knyazhevsky notes that "draconian" measures have been imposed on Spiegel, who is only a third party in the proceedings against his ex-wife, including a prohibition on disposing of his property.
Political Pressure
Spiegel claims that persecution has intensified since the start of the war in Ukraine. During his tenure as a senator, he chaired the Israel-Russia Friendship Association and facilitated bilateral relations, including visa exemptions and the establishment of a memorial in Netanya. "The State of Israel has abandoned us and is cooperating with Russia, which is persecuting us because we are Jews," Spiegel stated.
Also on the list of 22 is Eduard Kabakov from Bat Yam. A lawsuit for 9 million dollars was filed against him in Russia based on documents containing what he claims is a forged signature. Although the Russian lawsuit was dismissed, the parallel proceeding in Israel to seize his apartment continues.
A senior Israeli minister confirmed that Israel remains the only Western platform cooperating with such pressure mechanisms. "Russia is impoverishing and economically destroying people they do not want. Unfortunately, because of the signed agreement, they have hired a company to represent them in Israeli courts to impoverish people here and share the profits," he added.
