If the United States were being invaded and on the brink of conquest, I’d want a leader willing to do absolutely everything. So I’m not going to fault Zelensky for doing what’s best for his country. (Likewise, Putin believes that conquering Ukraine and any other country that used to be part of the Soviet sphere of influence is what’s best for his country. Nationalism is only as good as the country or its leader.)
That said, the willingness of too many people to climb on board with whatever propaganda Zelenskyy or Putin are spouting this week is too much.
Meanwhile, Jewish people and pro-Israel outlets seem happy to ignore the fact that Ukraine under its various governments has a history of consistently voting against Israel and with the terrorists at the UN. Instead, they’re straightforwardly rerunning cringe nonsense like Zelenskyy comparing the bombing of Ukraine to the Holocaust. A particularly egregious argument considering that Ukrainians played a significant role in helping the Nazis kill Jews.
And then there’s nonsense like this.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday expressed disappointment at the Israeli leadership’s response to his requests for aid as his country fights off a Russian invasion.
“I expected greater support from Prime Minister [Naftali] Bennett,” he said at a press conference.
“I saw a nice picture of Jews wrapped in [Ukrainian] flags by the Western Wall,” said Zelensky, who is Jewish. “They prayed for us, and I thank them for it. Our relations with the Israeli leadership are not bad, but they are being tested in a time of need. I did not feel that the Israeli prime minister is wrapped in our flag.”
Why exactly should the Israeli PM be wrapped in a Ukrainian flag? Has Zelensky been wrapped in the Israeli flag or the PLO flag?
Let’s review some of Ukraine’s UN votes on Israel in 2020.
Ukraine voted in favor of the UNRWA resolutions, abstained from the militantly anti-Israel, “Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories” and voted in favor of the “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” resolution which condemns Jews living in Judea and Samaria, and specifically in Jerusalem.
That would include the area of the Western Wall that Zelensky mentioned.
Ukraine also voted in favor of the “The occupied Syrian Golan” resolution
This sort of thing was fairly typical.
Before all this Zelensky’s government, like many others around the world, calculated that its best bet was to appease the Muslim world by being hostile to Israel at the UN. Despite that, Israel voted to condemn the Russian invasion and has provided some aid. But it’s unmitigated chutzpah to repeatedly attack Israel in international forums and delegitimize its capital and existence, and then complain that Israel isn’t supportive enough of Ukraine.
Ukraine has asked Israel to establish a field hospital, and the Foreign Ministry is preparing an additional humanitarian aid package for Ukraine. Other items expected to be in the next round of humanitarian aid are generators that Israel bought, which will be brought to Ukraine directly from Europe, a diplomatic source confirmed. In addition, Israel plans to continue to send medical equipment, medications, and bandages, the source said.
Not good enough, I suppose.
Wellington says
All of which, per this Greenfield article, conveys that even supposed “good guys” are not as good or wise as often as one might think.
For example, when Hitler demanded the Sudetenland in late 1938 (and of course he got it due to the appeasement of the UK under Chamberlain and France under Daladier), Poland avariciously agreed to take the Teschen area at this time which Hitler, in full Machiavellian fashion, provided to Poland as a sop. Poland was complicit, though to a minor degree compared to Nazi Germany, in the dismantling and eventual eradication of Czechoslovakia. And then was devoured by Hitler the next year. A lesson for us all, that is if we can learn, which mankind as a whole rarely does.
gravenimage says
Sadly true, Wellington.
somehistory says
“Why exactly should the Israeli PM be wrapped in a Ukrainian flag? Has Zelensky been wrapped in the Israeli flag or the PLO flag?”
Good questions the z guy should be made to answer.
One thing I personally have noticed: some people are never satisfied. Those people are generally ones who think too much of themselves, feel they are of greater worth, more important, more intelligent and others are supposed to recognize these things and bow at the feet with ,”Oh, great one, what can I do for you?” and the answer is : “Never enough.”
There was such a one in my sphere at one time. If anyone did anything for him, there was no “thanks” or any appreciation, but a quick, “What else?”
This z guy sounds very much like that guy. It’s never enough, no matter how much it is.
Infidel says
I believe that that’s the question Tucker Carlson has been asking on his show, when he pointed out on Wednesday that Kevin McCarthy was wearing a Ukrainian flag but not a US one. Right now, the reason some people on the right may be more reluctant to support Ukraine is that the Left is putting Ukraine on a higher priority than the US. Which is why someone on Revolver News noted that
Frank Anderson says
Please remember what Winston Churchill said about Hitler (paraphrased), “If Hitler attacked Hell, I would find something good to say about Satan in Parliament.” At some point decisions have to be made who to support and who should be abandoned to evil and tyranny. That is where the German quote says, (again paraphrased), “I said nothing when they came for others. There was nobody left when they came for me.” The Ukraine voting record stinks. But what should that mean when evil is on the march and may never stop until all Europe is conquered? Putin supports the muslim invasion of Europe because it destroys their economies and ability to resist.
gravenimage says
And Israel *has* condemned Russia invading Ukraine.
“UN General Assembly, including Israel, votes overwhelmingly to condemn Russia”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-general-assembly-including-israel-votes-overwhelmingly-to-condemn-russia/
gravenimage says
Ukraine, Which Votes at UN With Jihad Terrorists and Against Israel, is ‘Disappointed’ in Israel
………….
Even though I strongly support Ukraine in defence of their being invaded by Russia, this from Ukraine here is disingenuous. I’m not disappointed in Israel here, but in Ukraine.
Eva says
I’ll admit I’ve been feeling a touch ambivalent about this war.
On one hand, what Putin is doing is horrific, it should be stopped immediately, and he should not be allowed to spread this invasion to any other countries either.
On the other, I don’t see why I should concern myself with the descendants of evildoers who took such great joy and delight in torturing and slaughtering Jews. Ukraine is still known to be a very antisemitic country.
Now having read this article and discovered that ukraine votes with the enemies of Israel, time and time again, and that Zelensky has the utter gall to accuse Israel of not doing enough, well, let’s just say my ambivalence has completely vanished.
gravenimage says
Eva, if you believe that Russia–itself sadly often virulently antisemitic–is invading Ukraine because it has sometimes been antisemitic you are quite mistaken.
Then, note that the president of Ukraine–Zelensky–is *himself* Jewish.
Infidel says
Eva
Completely agree w/ you. Countries that Ukraine has diplomatically opposed in the past, be it in the UN or elsewhere, while not endorsing the Russian aggression itself, don’t owe Ukraine either diplomatic nor military support
Otoh, Graven is right that Russia too has a pretty anti-Semitic record, both under the Tsars and the Soviets. It’s improved since 1991, but in terms of UN votes, they’re not that different from Ukraine. Which is why Israel is pretty justified in staying neutral, and just offering humanitarian support
Granted that most of those votes didn’t happen on Zelenskyy’s watch, but if he wants things to change, he should change Ukraine’s foreign policy as well once this war is over. Like stop supporting any muslim countries. It’s noteworthy that Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Palis openly support Moscow in this war, Pakistan’s Imran Khan visited Moscow days after the invasion, and Turkey, while paying lip-service, is actually doing nothing to support Ukraine. That should be enough to convince Ukraine to go full pro-Israel once this is over
Infidel says
Ukraine has exactly this same equation w/ India, which is why it’s getting little support in India, despite being the one invaded. Right now, Vladimir Putin possibly has more support in India for this adventure in Ukraine than he has within Russia itself, due to his record of supporting India. Although his recent moves of warming up to Pakistan might go against that trend
Just like Ukraine voted consistently against Israel, it has a record of voting consistently against India. It began in 1998, when it voted to sanction India in the UN following the latter’s nuclear tests, and more recently, it has had a record of voting for UN resolutions condemning India on Kashmir. In the meantime, Russia has a solid record of vetoing anti-Indian resolutions on this topic (if only they’d do the same for Israel)
As a result, India has so far abstained on all the 3 occasions that there was a vote in the UN on this crisis, and the Ukrainians are not to happy. Although given their own record of voting anti-India, they should be grateful that India didn’t do what countries like Syria and Belarus did, and vote directly against those resolutions. Same w/ Israel. Neither country owes Ukraine any diplomatic support, even though on a humanitarian basis, they should support the Ukrainian people w/ humanitarian aid, like food
Hopefully, after this conflict is over, Ukraine will review and revise its foreign policy to stop supporting jihadist countries just b’cos they might be on the opposite side of Russia on some policy or other
OLD GUY says
Sadly our diplomats and government leaders seem to follow what ever or who ever is pulling the financial strings attached to them at the time. The truth is that the Israel, Palestine issue cannot be solved without the total destruction of one or the other, unless of course one agrees to moving to west Texas. Then we will have a Texas, Palestine or Israel crisis.
And of curse the leaders of these pro this pro that groups don’t want the problem solved, they are getting vary rich off of this continued disagreement. Keep sending those checks folks.
Rarely says
Infidel.
The U.S. and Canada don’t have anti-Semitic records? Compared to the overall European record you are correct.
BUT…
Check out their WWII Jewish refugee record. Check out the S.S. St. Louis and the refusal of Canada and the U.S. to take in the 900+ Jewish refugees. Wasn’t it the Canadian Immigration minister who stated that “one is too many” when discussing Jewish refugees from Nazism.
No genocide — true. But lots of prejudice.
Infidel says
Prejudice is nowhere near genocide. Do either the US or Canada have a record of mistreating their Jewish citizens? Whether they discriminated against foreign Jews or not is secondary. Every country has the right to cherrypick who they want as immigrants
Michael Vanyukov says
The lack of Ukraine’s support for Israel and Ukraine’s complicity with anti-Israel forces has nothing to do with the fact of Russia’s aggression. During WW2, despite the Soviet Union’s complicity with Nazis before and at the beginning of the war, the Soviet Union was accepted as a member of the anti-Axis coalition and helped to defeat the common enemy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the same kind of an anti-civilization event as the opening of WW2.
Shalom says
Thankyou Daniel Greenfield for another excellent and informative article. Excellent comments below it too!