Ukraine, along with some Western nations, has been seeking Israel’s help in defeating the Russians in the seemingly endless war taking place. Israel has been sending help in the form of humanitarian aid and increasing its annual refugee capacity to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of Slavic peoples running away from the horrors of war but until today, has refused to supply weapons to the former Soviet State.
Since the various reports of Iranian drones and strategists helping in the Russian war effort, Israel has been feeling even more pressure. The question that is puzzling foreigners as much as some Israelis would be, should Israel engage in combat within Ukraine against the Russians and the increasing Iranian presence?
There are a few considerations when discussing the large topic of Israeli involvement in a European war. For starters, Israel should be honored, seeing it as a testament to their renowned proficiency in defense. The Jewish State is being asked to help protect the same lands where many ancestors of Israelis were killed just 75 years ago, this too has its ironies. Both Ukraine and Russia have strong diplomatic ties to the Zionist state, although one relationship benefits Israel far more.
Ukraine's formal request for Israeli Iron Dome technology has been shot down
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) October 19, 2022
Israel could confine its assistance to humanitarian support and defensive equipment, as per Benny Gantz's latest remarks
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war over a decade ago, Russia has mostly been in charge of Syrian airspace. In order to target Hezbollah and other Iranian assets in Syria, Israel has been relying on Russian approval to act freely inside Syria and fly Israeli jets all over the wartorn country. In a twisted sense, the Syrian civil war has gifted Israel with the ability to stump Iranian influence on its northern borders without risking heavy casualties in skies that were formerly extremely hostile.
The Soviet Union had a history of aiding the Israeli enemy throughout the cold war, including the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization which was meant to create chaos in the region to counter Western influence in Israel. Yet, the current situation and relations Russia has with Israel’s neighbors greatly benefit Israel's security.
A Jewish woman chased by youths armed with clubs during the Lviv pogroms, July 1941, then occupied Poland, now Ukraine. Fascism is a mental illness that can even transform children into monsters.
— അനന്തൻ നമ്പ്യാർ (@ananthannambia) February 9, 2022
If you don't learn from history, you will never learn. pic.twitter.com/xZLcSbQuJG
On the other hand, Ukraine has virtually no impact on Israeli security, nor does it even attempt to fiscally benefit it. Israel has, on a few occasions, officially recognized that the Ukrainian people are the victims of Russian aggression but also the Jewish State has not been blind to the fact that Ukraine has had one of the most corrupt governments in Europe.
"We can help #Ukraine with smart missile attack warning systems, like we have, and not with weapons," Defense Minister Gantz explained. @nexta_tv pic.twitter.com/bUy6B2HRUI
— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) October 19, 2022
On the historical part of considerations, there are a few topics to keep in mind both in direct correlation to Ukraine and other conflicts of similar nature. Ukraine historically has acted as the epitome of classical antisemitism, beginning with the pogroms executed by local Kossacks all the way to aiding the Nazis in their mission to make Eastern Europe “Judenfrei” ( a Nazi term meaning free of Jews). Ukraine today has reformed its antisemitic culture to some extent, and even has a Jewish president, Mr. Zelensky.
In @nytimes today, one of the few times the media has mentioned the pogroms of the Czarist era. No, Jewish history in Ukraine isn't "complicated." It's "genocidal." Israel should not be lectured by Zelensky et al but thanked for putting history aside & offering what help it can. pic.twitter.com/UPNaiKMagY
— Gary Weiss (@gary_weiss) March 24, 2022
It's not as of historical Russia was a hospitable place to live for the Children of Israel, but their offenses pale in comparison to the ones people living in the Ukraine territory had committed; this is the primary reason for the lasting 'bitter taste' many Ashkenazi Jews have when thinking about Ukraine.
Let's make this clear; Israeli and Jewish sympathy and aid to the people of Ukraine is not because of their part in the Holocaust but in-spite of it. We saw their suffering and put their shameful history behind us, don't be so pathetic to distort the facts. https://t.co/m8DE3jvsSV
— 🇮🇱 David Ha'ivri 🤠 دافيد هعفري (@haivri) March 20, 2022
Another recent historical topic comes to mind when thinking of Israeli involvement in Ukraine, the Soviet-Afghan war. The Soviet attempt to take control of the Central Asian mountainous Afghanistan lasted 10 years from 1979-1989. Fiercely anti-Communist America did just about all it can to stop the slow invasion, with the exception of actually putting American troops on the ground. In the process of funding local Mujahideen militias to fight away the “commies”, the US unknowingly planted the seeds for a much larger threat of extreme Islam in the region. Prominent figures like Osama Bin Laden rose to power using the American infrastructure given to them. Some have even argued that 9/11 would not have happened if not for the American involvement in Afghanistan during the 1980s.
Now, obviously the Ukrainian government and military are nowhere close to having the ability to harm Israel or its allies in such a way, but history does repeat itself in many cases and the lesson to be learned is as a strong nation, try to steer away from issues that do not impact you directly.
Now, back to the initial question, should Israel help Ukraine militarily? The answer is simple, it would be very unwise on so many levels to do so. Israel has and will continue to aid on a humanitarian level as much as possible, but sending Israeli defensive missiles for use of Ukrainian troops just cannot and will not happen. For Ukrainian and other officials to pressure Israel into doing so because of Iranian involvement on the Russian side is simply not strong enough of a case, especially while Russia is still allowing Israel to target Iranian targets in Syria.
On a side note, the Ukrainian government since the very first day of the war has received over $17 billion just from the United States Department of Defense. This does not include the billions other nations have contributed. That number, the $17 billion America handed it is just a few billion short of Israel’s annual defense budget for 2020, which was just above $20 billion. Perhaps Instead of continuing to have the beggar's mindset, Ukraine should seek advice from Israel on how to properly spend the money it has collected on defending itself, rather than taking in more money while asking others to fight its battles.
I spoke to Israeli Prime Minister @YairLapid and informed him on unspeakable suffering, loss of life, and destruction caused by Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones. We discussed in detail Ukraine’s request for Israel to provide air and missile defense systems and technology.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) October 20, 2022
The fact is, Ukraine has the means and the will to fend off the Russian invasion using the money and tools handed to it by the West. The fact they are still on the news each day using talking points about how they need more and more is worrisome. Despite the reality that their defense has had significant success, the Ukrainian leadership consistently tries raising the alarm, dragging others into a conflict that is as complicated in history as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has never asked a foreign nation to help defend it with boots on the ground, Ukraine would do well to consider that standing with your hand out all the time is less effective than working for the success you have.
