Faced with the intensification of the bombardments ordered by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, has asked Israel to send him the Iron Dome anti-missile batteries, the shield that neutralizes more than 90% of the projectiles that Palestinian militias launch from Gaza.
Zelensky, during a telematic appearance in the Knesset, implored in March that Israel send weapons urgently, as well as the imposition of sanctions on Russia. He said the Russian offensive was intended to wipe out the Ukrainians in the same way that the Nazis wiped out six million Jews. Many Israeli parliamentarians, however, rejected the comparison.
Putting geostrategic interests first, the then prime minister, Naftali Bennett, set himself up as a mediator and was one of the first international leaders to meet with Putin.
It is in Israel's interest to maintain a good relationship with the Kremlin. Firstly, because Russia turns a blind eye when its aircraft bomb Iranian missile shipments on Syrian territory destined for the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah militia, and secondly, because it does not want to complicate life for the Jewish communities in Russia.
Zelensky this week congratulated Netanyahu on his election victory. “Ukraine and Israel – he tweeted – share common values and challenges that now require effective cooperation. We hope to open a new page in the relationship with the new Israeli government, for the benefit of both countries."
"Effective cooperation" is a dart in the face of the new scenario opened in Ukraine with the arrival of Iranian drones, which the Russian army uses to crush civil and military infrastructure. Before the relief of power in Jerusalem, the Ukrainian leader dreams that Beniamin Netanyahu takes a step forward. However, he did not take into account election posters in which Bibi promoted himself as "a leader of another league" shaking hands with Putin and Trump.
Israel is closely monitoring the operations of the two types of drones provided by Tehran, capable of collecting information to improve the effectiveness of Russian artillery or carrying out kamikaze attacks with loads of 40 kilos of explosives. Faced with the dilemma, many Israelis consider that their country will not be on the good side of history if it does not approve the shipment of weapons.
Israel had been limited to sending humanitarian aid until then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz offered an accurate missile warning system last month. It not only saves lives, but also helps preserve a certain routine in times of war. When the alarms sound in Kyiv, its almost four million inhabitants have to run to the shelter because in more than 90% of the cases the sirens do not delimit the threatened area.
Shortly before his electoral victory, Netanyahu praised Israel's neutrality in the conflict and considered that "there are always options that the weapons we provide will end up in Iranian hands and be used against us." Bibi is also reluctant to believe that Putin will end up using the atomic bomb.
Hebrew military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai highlights a misperception of the Ukrainians. “The Iron Dome will not solve your problems. Ukraine is a giant country, and these batteries serve to shield specific points, such as Ashkelon (the front of the war in Gaza). It would take dozens just to defend Kyiv, and Israel can't afford it," he said. The Russians could quickly pulverize the anti-aircraft batteries, and the analyst believes that the Ukrainians would obtain more concessions if they maintained a discreet diplomatic dialogue.
Ruti Aron, former Tsahal spokesperson, recalls that since its foundation "Israel required constant technological and military evolution because we are a small country facing giant enemies." The Jewish state is the eighth largest seller of weapons on the planet, and a tenth of national production depends on the military sector. Aron believes that Israel should accept Ukraine's demands, but without providing Iran with clues to its military supremacy in the Middle East.
Kyiv, however, believes that Tehran will use the experience of its drones in Ukraine to attack the Jewish state.
Ukraine pressures Israel through European and American Jewish communities. Andri Yermak, Zelensky's bureau chief, called Russia the "Hezbollah of Europe" and called the shipment of anti-missile batteries a "guarantee for peace in Israel."
Rabbi Moshe Azman, one of the most influential in Ukraine and a critic of Israeli neutrality, asked: "Are you on the side of the free world or with Russia and Iran?"
