Israel should allow Ukraine to use its defensive weapons against Iran-made drones, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, said on Tuesday.
“No country other than Israel has the capabilities Ukraine needs to defend itself,” Yermak said in a briefing to Israeli reporters. “This equipment will be used in Ukraine against Iranian weapons.”
Ukraine knows that it shares an enemy with Israel – Iran – and as such, Yermak said, “We don’t understand why the government and Israeli politicians don’t understand this.”
Yermak also called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to express his support for Ukraine” and said he expects the premier to visit.
Yermak characterized Israel as “the most neutral among countries that have good relations with Ukraine.”
“As a person with a Jewish father, I cannot understand why Israel is not reacting,” he added.
Israel’s response to Russia’s invasion
Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within a day of it happening and has voted with Ukraine consistently in the UN. In addition, Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv, as well as missile warning systems. However, Ukraine has asked for military aid, which Israel has not provided, in light of Russia’s continued military presence in Syria.
Asked if Israeli aid is really critical for Ukraine, Yermak said that Israel should help “a friend in need.”
“We must stand together in wartime. It is not enough to maintain the dialogue between the states; the heads of state must show support,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that his “Jewish friends” say that Ukrainian president Volodymyr “Zelensky is not a Jew; he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.”
Yermak pointed out that “unfortunately, we did not hear condemnations from the Israeli government and its senior figures.”
“I expect Israel to respond,” he stated. “These insulting words were said by a man recognized as a dictator the world over.”
If Putin “harmed a Jewish president, it shows that he can harm other Jews,” Yermak warned.
He also said that the Russians regularly bomb Uman, the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Uman and a pilgrimage site for tens of thousands of Jews.
Yermak compared Russia’s actions to those of the Nazis, saying that their invasion of Ukraine “was unlike anything since World War II” and compared Putin to “a man who is responsible for killing many millions in World War II.”
“As long as there are regimes like Russia, no one is protected or immune from such disasters,” he said. “If they decide they want to invade another territory, no one is safe.”
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