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The False Narrative of Israeli Neutrality in Russia's Ukraine Invasion
(National Review) Lahav Harkov - The pernicious message, echoing through social and traditional media, that Israel is neutral or silent in this war just because it doesn't sound the same as the U.S. is simply false. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said this week, "We condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has no justification, and we call on Russia to stop the shooting and the attacks and solve the problems around the negotiating table." Israel voted in favor of the resolution against Russia in the UN General Assembly. Lapid also said, "We are not sitting on the fence; we are clearly on the side of the West....We are doing a lot, more than most countries." When asked about his alleged fence-sitting, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Israel's Channel 13 that "what is described in the media is wrong," because "the different players want us in a place in which we can hold dialogue with everyone." Israel has the Russian Army sitting on its border in Syria, where Russia has been the dominant force since 2015. Before Israel strikes at Iranian bases and weapons convoys in Syria, it contacts the Russian military through the "deconfliction mechanism" so that it can get its soldiers out of the way. In addition, Israel tries to be sensitive to the situation of Jews worldwide and is concerned about its actions putting them in danger. There are hundreds of thousands of Jews and their descendants in Ukraine and Russia. The potential negative consequences for Jews in Russia, where an iron curtain appears to be descending once again, is great. Putin has certainly been friendlier to Jews than any Russian leader before him. Considering Israel's small size and its location, far from the war zone, it's doing a lot to help. Israel sent over 100 tons of humanitarian aid, mostly for refugees crossing Ukraine's western borders, including medical equipment and medicines, dressings for wounds, and hospital supplies. It also included water-purifying kits, 3,000 tents, 15,000 blankets, 3,000 sleeping bags, and 2,700 down coats. The cabinet has approved funding for a field hospital in Ukraine. In addition, Ukrainians who do not qualify to immigrate will be allowed to seek refuge temporarily if they have friends or family in Israel. The calls for Israel to give Ukraine the Iron Dome missile-defense system show a lack of understanding. It defends against much cruder missiles than the ones Russia is using. Plus, Israel doesn't have enough to cover its own small territory, transporting Iron Dome batteries from one location to another at wartime, so how can it cover a country that is 27 times larger? The writer is the diplomatic correspondent of the Jerusalem Post.