Before the meeting between Netanyahu and Zelensky in New York, a world map was brought in that did not include Ukraine

The meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which took place on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, almost led to a diplomatic incident.

Israel’s newspaper “Israel Yahom” reports about it.

Shortly before the meeting, staff from Netanyahu’s office decided to place a world map in the room where the two politicians were to meet. The map had been brought to the UN headquarters from the Israeli consulate in New York. However, at the last moment, they noticed that the map was of an old design, dating back to the 1960s, during the time of the USSR, and Ukraine was not marked as an independent state.

As a result, Netanyahu’s office staff removed the map from the room at the last minute to avoid a diplomatic scandal, as noted by “Israel Yahom.”

In the end, the meeting between Netanyahu and Zelensky proceeded in a “friendly atmosphere,” according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Jewish state would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including in demining efforts.

This marks the first in-person meeting between Netanyahu and Zelensky since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. Netanyahu, who was in opposition at the beginning of 2022, returned to the post of Israeli Prime Minister at the end of 2022. Until now, they had only communicated by phone, with their last conversation taking place after a long hiatus on September 7th. Among the current Israeli political leadership, the head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eli Cohen, who visited Kyiv in February, has personally communicated with Zelensky during the conflict.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly stated their support for Ukraine in the current situation but had thus far refrained from providing military assistance, focusing instead on humanitarian aid.