If Vladimir Putin orders his forces into Ukraine, Israel may be harmed in several ways, since it has always struggled to maintain its policy of straddling the fence in regional conflicts involving Russia.

An invasion will entail extremely harsh sanctions on Russia by the West, including halting the purchase of natural gas, sanctions on companies and oligarchs, and cutting Russia off from the SWIFT banking system that allows money to be transferred globally. Israel will be obliged to join those sanctions.

There is no doubt that Putin would view Israel’s joining a Western front against Russia unfavorably. He has plenty of ways of exacting cold revenge.

The picture becomes even more complex when you take into account the fact that thousands of Israelis remain in Ukraine.