On more than one occasion, Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, has taken Israel to task for not participating in the economic sanctions against Russia. There is here a minor and a major issue.
The minor issue is twofold: First, we can certainly understand Zelensky’s position. He is the victim of sheer evil, sheer brutality, heroically facing down a far superior power with grit, morale, tenacity and courage.
Second, Zelensky should understand that Israel faces precisely the same brutal Russian military stationed in Syria, and no more wants the same brutality now turned against Ukraine to rain down on itself.
The major is this:
Ukraine, despite its anti-Semitic history —from the Cossacks on through to the Nazi collaborators — is now doing the dirty work for much of the rest of the world. Ukraine, its own tremendous suffering and losses notwithstanding, is slowly but clearly degrading the Russia military step by step. Ukraine is fighting the fight that otherwise may well have fallen to the US or other nations in greater Europe to undertake.
Every loss of Ukrainian life, and every war crime that Ukraine sustains, are tragic. They even tear the heart out of the onlookers — we who are safely ensconced from afar — not to mention the Ukrainians on the ground. It is devoutly to be hoped that all this brutality cease. At the same time, every day that Ukraine fights back, it is fighting not only for itself but for the rest of the world, including Israel, that is potentially threatened by a Putin’s madness.
Amidst this complicated calculus, one point should be rather simple. Although Zelensky does not hide from being Jewish, and his election in Ukraine says a lot about how far the country has come from its anti-Semitic history, Zelensky’s Judaism is a minor matter to him. It is unrealistic to expect from him a special sensitivity to Israel. But to the extent he weakens Russia’s armed forces, he helps Israel and helps countless other countries in the long run. For that we owe him gratitude and admiration.
Copyright © 2022 by the Intermountain Jewish News
