From News Nation:
“Zelenskyy evokes Holocaust as
he appeals to Israel for aid”
Ukraine’s president on Sunday
called on Israel to take a stronger stand against Russia, delivering an
emotional appeal that compared Russia’s invasion of his country to the actions
of Nazi Germany. In a speech to Israeli lawmakers over Zoom, President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was time for Israel, which has emerged as a key
mediator between Ukraine and Russia, to finally take sides. He said Israel
should follow its Western allies by imposing sanctions and providing arms to
Ukraine. “One can ask for a long time why we can’t accept weapons from you or
why Israel didn’t impose sanctions against Russia, why you are not putting
pressure on Russian business,” he said. “It is your choice, dear brothers and
sisters.”
Zelenskyy, who has carefully
catered a series of similar parliamentary speeches to his audiences, made
frequent references to the Holocaust as he tried to rally support. The
comparisons drew an angry condemnation from Israel’s national Holocaust
memorial, which said Zelenskyy was trivializing the Holocaust.
Zelenskyy accused Russian
President Vladimir Putin of trying to carry out a “final solution” against
Ukraine — using the Nazi term for its planned genocide of 6 million Jews during
World War II. “You remember it and will never forget it for sure,” he said.
“But you should hear what is coming from Moscow now. They are saying the same
words now: ‘final solution.’ But this time it’s about us, about the Ukrainian
question.”
Zelenskyy, who himself is Jewish,
also noted that a Russian missile slammed into Babi Yar — the spot of a
notorious Nazi massacre in 1941 that now hosts Ukraine’s main Holocaust
memorial. “The people of Israel, you saw how Russian rockets hit Babi Yar. You
know what this place means, where the victims of the Holocaust are buried,” he
said. The use of such sensitive language was a clear attempt by Zelenskyy to
connect with his audience. Israel was founded in 1948 as a refuge for Jews in
the wake of the Holocaust. The country is home to tens of thousands of elderly
survivors, and many of its leaders are children of survivors. Putin has also
has sought to paint his enemies in Ukraine as neo-Nazis as he tries to
legitimize his war in Ukraine. But historians, noting that Ukraine is a
democracy led by a Jewish president, have condemned his use of such terminology
as disinformation and a cynical ploy to further the Russian leader’s aims.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair
Lapid, whose late father was a Holocaust survivor, thanked Zelenskyy for the
speech. “We will continue to assist the Ukrainian people as much as we can and
we will never turn our backs to the plight of people who know the horrors of
war,” Lapid said. But Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial, which
had previously condemned Putin’s Nazi references, also harshly criticized
Zelenskyy, without naming him. “Propagandist discourse accompanying the current
hostilities is saturated with irresponsible statements and completely
inaccurate comparisons with Nazi ideology and actions before and during the
Holocaust,” it said. “Yad Vashem condemns this trivialization and distortion of
the historical facts of the Holocaust.” The Israeli public has been largely
supportive of Ukraine since Russia invaded its western neighbor on Feb. 24.
Several thousand people, many holding Ukrainian flags, gathered in a central
Tel Aviv square to watch his speech on a large screen.
But Israel’s government has been
much more cautious as it carves out a role as a mediator in the war. Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett paid a surprise visit to Moscow to meet with Putin on
March 5. Since then, he has spoken to the Russian leader at least twice and to
Zelenskyy at least six times, according to his office. While Israel’s foreign
minister has strongly condemned the invasion, Bennett has used more tepid
language to maintain an air of neutrality. With large Jewish populations in
both Ukraine and Russia, Israel is wary of antagonizing either side. Israel
also has good working relations with the Russian military in neighboring Syria
— where both sides maintain a special hotline to make sure their air forces do
not come into conflict. Israel has delivered tons of humanitarian aid to
Ukraine and is set to open a special field hospital in western Ukraine later
this week. But it has rejected pleas to provide arms or impose sanctions
against Russia or its oligarchs, some of whom are Jewish and have strong ties
to Israel. Zelenskyy said it was time for this to change. “Everyone in Israel
knows that your missile defense is the best. Everyone knows that your weapons
are strong, everyone knows that you are great and you know how to defend your
national interests, interests of your people and you can definitely help defend
ours,” he said.
^ When missiles and bombs fall on
Israel by Arab Terrorists who call for the destruction of the Israeli People “Into
the Sea” the world (including Ukraine) stands with them, but when missiles and
bombs fall on Ukraine by Russian Terrorists who call for the destruction of the
Ukrainian People “Into the Dark Ages” Israel continues to support Russia. That
makes no sense. Genocide is Genocide and you are either against ALL Genocide or
you aren’t. Israel needs to do a lot more NOW to support Ukraine in its fight
against Russia’s Genocide on the Ukrainian People. ^
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