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Katharine Eyre
Katharine Eyre
2 years ago

I would also like to add that Zelenskyy’s demands, criticisms and invocations of the past also aren’t going down well with certain sections of the German public. Even though they might be supportive of Ukraine and Germany’s movement away from pacifism, I think they resent being harried.
Although Germans do need to be harried sometimes, otherwise they’d procrastinate forever.

Rafi Stern
Rafi Stern
2 years ago

The free hand that Russia grants Israel to fight Iran on Syrian soil is an existential issue for Israel. As Lahav quoted “we’d rather be alive and have the bad image.”

Victoria Cooper
Victoria Cooper
2 years ago

You wonder too, if he has thought it through demanding a no fly zone. There is courage and passion but also a whisper of naivety?

Alan Hinkley
Alan Hinkley
2 years ago

I’m surprised that 10% of Israelis support Russia. How can that be?
Germany, ah yes, astonishingly trusting in Putin’s good will. As for constructing NordStream 2…Wasn’t it always obvious that Putin has been increasing his military strength for years to re-establish Russia’s imperial dreams? And then there’s Gerhard Schroder…

Dustshoe Richinrut
Dustshoe Richinrut
2 years ago

“Israel has condemned Russia at the UN and in repeated statements since.”

But that form of condemnation is not as gratifying to embattled Ukrainians as condemnation from “the floor of the house,” as has happened in the House of Commons. From the floor of the House, a visceral condemnation does not need repeated statements following. The message to those in the wrong becomes loud and clear. The calling out of the wrong done is loud and clear. The problem is that if wrong is not at least called out, loud and clear, then something of a moral backbone is diminished. Does a strong and confident nation like Israel not mind becoming quickly something of the townsfolk of Hadleyville in the western High Noon (written by Carl Foreman and directed by Fred Zinnemann) who tell Marshall Kane they don’t want to get involved with his efforts to face down the Miller gang who are due to arrive on the noon train?

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
2 years ago

Don’t know why you’re getting downvoted for this comment. I think it’s a great comparison.

Dustshoe Richinrut
Dustshoe Richinrut
2 years ago
Reply to  Ian Stewart

Well, thank you. Israel has gone all hoity-toity of late. And it is a terrible shame. Nul points for both Germany and Israel, really, on this one.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
2 years ago

This is just naive. Condemnation from the floor of the House, no less! How very useful to the Ukrainians!

Israel, like Ukraine, still faces powerful enemies desiring it’s annihilation: it ultimately has to put its own interests first. Britain, despite the embarrassing pontifications of lightweight armchair warriors such as Ben Wallace (and indeed us lot), does not.

Last edited 2 years ago by Andrew Fisher
Dustshoe Richinrut
Dustshoe Richinrut
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

So Russia, a country that has apparently gone all wistful about its Christian heritage, can put the screw on Israel if Israel does not play ball? By aiding and abetting its extremist allies in parts of the Islamic Middle Eastern region?

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

I don’t disagree – Israel can choose to look after itself, as it has done here. And I can choose to lose my compassion for a selfish country that I previously defended. I suspect there are many like me, and I don’t think it’s good planning by Israel to lose the empathy of the west.

Charles Hedges
Charles Hedges
2 years ago

How many anti-tank and anti aircraft missiles are being to Ukraine by Israel and when will they arrive?

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Hedges

I understand they’ve ‘done a germany’ and supplied a field hospital. It’ll be remembered afterwards.

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Hedges

None as far as I’m aware. Israel owes its existence to the West, so it should be very careful about being seen to cosying up to Russia. If it ever lost the goodwill and financial backing of the Americans it would be in big trouble

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
2 years ago

I’ve found Israel’s lack of support for Ukraine quite shocking and it’s reaction to the Holocaust comments rather precious, given they were made by a man under constant threat of assassination.
“They didn’t want to judge someone fighting for his country’s survival — though they did add that his comparison was inappropriate.”
Aw shucks that’s really big of them! As a result in one week I’ve gone from being a fairly vocal supporter of Israel, to neutral about it, and now I’d be happy to boycott it. It’s clear to me that Israel doesn’t care a fig about Ukraine – and now I know that I’m comfortable with reciprocating the empathy.

Lord Rochester
Lord Rochester
2 years ago
Reply to  Ian Stewart

Agreed. There is a whinging quality to this: as if Zelensky has a court of speechwriters idling away their hours drafting pitch-perfect metaphors…

I thought the evocation of Churchill was a little clumsy, but given that the Wagner Group has a target on his back I don’t think I’ll get prissy about it.

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
2 years ago
Reply to  Ian Stewart

If you have changed your mind on Israel in one week, it just possibly goes to show that your views are motivated by sentimentality, gullibility and naivety!

Comparing the industrial massacre of millions of an unarmed civilian population with a war (in which so far a few thousand have died) is indeed pretty grotesque.

A moment’s consideration would have recognised that many more Ukrainians fought with Hitler – and therefore against the Jews – than for them. I think even Zelensky recognises he got this one wrong.

I sense so often that Israel is held to entirely different standards from other countries and that this may well come from an unspoken and even unconscious anti-Semitism. The Left turned against Israel when it became strong enough to aggressively defend itself, as it had to, and now it seems sections of the Right are going the same way when Israel doesn’t precisely follow their agenda. In other words, a skin-deep level of support at best.

The US is a superpower; it could do much more on Ukraine including calling the Russians’ bluff on nuclear war. It is pretty stupid anyway to keep highlighting what steps you are definitely NOT going to take in any circumstances! The US of course does have its own interests, and is a long way from Ukraine. But so does Israel, which is ultimately a small country. I think we might ‘give it some slack’ when it has been fighting enemies trying to destroy it for almost the whole period of its existence. This includes today an extremely hostile Iran trying to acquire nuclear weapons with a rather flabby and weak western response. How much can Israel rely on the Biden administration with its far-Left anti Israel wing?

Last edited 2 years ago by Andrew Fisher
Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrew Fisher

I don’t hold Israel to a different standard from countries in the west who have supplied arms and support to Ukraine.
And to reference the war crimes against Jews of some Ukrainians nearly 80 years ago to justify the slaughter of Ukrainian civilians today makes your case for Israel’s position pretty poor. In fact it’s rubbish.
As an objective person I listen and I watch events. I’ve been deceived by Israel which I thought supported a western approach to culture, politics and human rights. I’m big enough to see when I’ve made a mistake, as I have done with Israel. I won’t be supporting Israel anymore.