Is the video of Russian President Putin not shaking hands with Netanyahu current?

When we search for the screenshots extracted from the video on search engines to verify the claim’s accuracy, we find results dating back to the year 2020.

Based on the sources we’ve consulted; it seems that the video was filmed during the 5th World Holocaust Forum held in Israel in 2020. Our understanding from these sources is that Putin met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu in Jerusalem before the forum.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the event was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Charles of England, and several other heads of state.

The footage isn’t current; it’s from 2020.

In the video, it is indeed seen that Putin did not shake hands with Netanyahu; however, but this does not depict a personal rift between the two. This is because it’s been stated that Putin and Netanyahu had a meeting before the event, and Netanyahu hosted Putin at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

At the outset of this meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “I want to welcome our great friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sara and I are pleased to host you again at our home here in Jerusalem, and to thank you for the brave link between Russia and Israel, which serves our peoples and our policy as well as peace and stability in the region. Welcome to Jerusalem,” he remarked.

Russian President Putin affirmed their regular collaboration with Prime Minister Netanyahu with the following statement: “Mr. Prime Minister and honored colleagues, I would like to thank you for the invitation to come. We are working regularly with the Prime Minister. We concluded some time ago to come here and visit Israel. I am certain that this will aid in advancing our bilateral relations and of course, today we recall the victims of the Holocaust. I would like to again thank the Prime Minister and also his wife for the invitation to visit Israel. Thank you very much.”

Furthermore, Putin and Netanyahu jointly participated in the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Memorial Candle’ monument in Jerusalem on January 23, 2020, commemorating the victims of the Siege of Leningrad.

Source – Opening ceremony of the Memorial Candle monument

Numerous photographs depict Putin and Netanyahu standing together at the ceremony. Consequently, we can infer that the claims suggesting Putin ignored Netanyahu or refrained from shaking his hand are unfounded.

There are also photographs depicting Putin and Netanyahu shaking hands at the press conference preceding the World Holocaust Forum.

Hence, the assertions made in the circulated claims do not align with reality. The images being circulated, purported to be recent, are actually from 2020, and there are numerous photographs from the same event timeline capturing Putin and Netanyahu shaking hands. Furthermore, news footage accessible on YouTube also depicts Putin and Netanyahu engaging in a handshake during their meeting.

What takes place during the World Holocaust Forum?

During the 5th edition of the World Holocaust Forum held in 2020, leaders from different nations convened for a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The event featured historical addresses honoring Holocaust victims and highlighting the importance of unity against racism. In this context, the World Holocaust Forum, with its objective of conducting commemorations, educating about the genocide, and transmitting this history to future generations, collaborates on shared strategies involving the participation of heads of state.

To summarize, the circulating claims implying that these posts depict a current event are inaccurate; Putin had indeed met with Netanyahu prior to the forum.