President Zelensky has said that it is time for Israel to remove its neutrality and return to Ukraine

In his statement, President Zelensky said that “Ukraine chose to save the Jews 80 years ago”.

Kyiv:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called on Israel to abandon its attempt to remain neutral in the wake of the Russian invasion, saying it was time for the Jewish state to resolutely support its country.

Zelensky, a Jew, made the appeal in a speech to Israeli lawmakers, the latest in a series of televised speeches before the country’s legislatures. outside.

In remarking that at some point comparing Russian aggression to the Holocaust, Zelensky said that “Ukraine chose to save the Jews 80 years ago”.

“Now is the time for Israel to make its choice.”

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has taken a cautious diplomatic course since Russia launched the invasion on February 24.

Underscoring Israel’s strong ties with Moscow and Kyiv, Bennett sought to maintain a delicate security partnership with Russia, which has troops in Syria, across Israel’s northern border.

Bennett held regular phone calls with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a three-hour meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on March 5.

While Ukrainian officials have voiced their appreciation for Bennett’s reconciliation, Zelensky hinted on Sunday that his efforts had proven to be a step in the wrong direction.

“We can mediate between nations, but not between good and evil,” the Ukrainian leader said.

– ‘Nazi Glossary’ –

Zelensky, whose family lost a loved one during the Holocaust, claims the Kremlin used “Nazi terminology” to describe its goals in Ukraine.

“The Nazis talked about the ‘Final Solution’ to the Jewish question,” he said. “Now Moscow is talking about a final solution for Ukraine.”

His comparison drew immediate criticism from several Israeli officials, including Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel from the Right-wing New Hope party.

“We cannot rewrite the history of the Holocaust, a genocide happened on Ukrainian soil as well. This war is terrible, but if you compare it with the horrors of the Holocaust and the Final Resolution, it’s amazing. outrageous,” Hendel wrote on Twitter, voicing support for Ukrainians.

Zelensky said he was not raised religiously and that he did not put Judaism at the forefront of his presidential campaign.

But he increasingly appealed to his faith to rally support for Ukraine among Jews and within Israel, including through social media posts in Hebrew.

The Jewish state does not participate in Western sanctions against Russia, but some members of the country’s coalition government have been more vocal than Bennett.

– ‘Ashamed’ –

They include Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who has repeatedly condemned Russia’s actions.

“I reiterate my condemnation of the attack on Ukraine and thank President Zelensky for sharing his feelings and the plight of the Ukrainian people,” Lapid said after the speech.

Zelensky’s appearance was also screened at Habima Square in central Tel Aviv, the site of several recent anti-Russian protests.

Before the speech, left-wing Mayor Ron Huldai of Tel Aviv said that Israel’s neutrality could no longer be changed.

“Ignoring any political considerations, we are witnessing an event in which it is clear what is bad and what is good; who is the aggressor and who is the attacker,” Huldai said. .

“There are moments when one cannot remain silent; and today, now, is exactly one of these moments.”

Watching the speech in Habima Square was Victor Vertsner, 45, of Ukraine, who said he was “embarrassed” by Israel’s response.

“We are doing too little and doing it too late. We have to do more. We have no right to stand aside and look, like the Jews who lived through the Holocaust and the survivors,” he told AFP.

More than one million of Israel’s 9.4 million residents have roots in the former Soviet Union.

Israel has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine but has so far refused Kyiv’s request for military assistance.

(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)