Volodymyr Zelensky has valiantly steered his nation through the turbulent times in Churchillian fashion since Putin’s unprovoked onslaught on his country began in February, eight months ago to the day. However, at times, he and his government have squandered credibility by wading into the murky waters of the domestic politics of other countries backing Ukraine, most notably during the first Trump impeachment. This uncouth behavior bolsters the narrative of Zelensky’s Western detractors.
The Ukrainian president repeated the same mistake today when he lambasted Israel over its tepid support for the Ukrainian cause since the Russian invasion began. In a video recorded for Haaretz’s Democracy Conference, Zelensky, who is Jewish, claimed that Jerusalem’s decision not to send military aid to Kyiv spurred Iranian involvement in the war and the deepening of ties between Moscow and Tehran.
Israel’s desultory support certainly leaves much to be desired. Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz could do more to help Ukraine. Rather than offering air-attack alerts for civilians, they should provide interceptors to shoot down Iranian-made drones. Their fear of provoking a Russian response in Syria by supplying the Ukrainians with military hardware is unfounded.
Yes, Israel’s national security depends partly on maintaining relative stability in Syria, in which Russia plays no small role, especially when it comes to keeping the Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, in check. But Russia has clearly shown itself to be spread too thin in Ukraine, as demonstrated by its nonresponse to Finnish and Swedish ascension to NATO. And it wouldn’t be in Russia’s interest to unleash the beasts on Israel’s northern border, as this could threaten the Assad regime. Nevertheless, Israel’s timorous inaction did not invite Tehran’s intervention in the Ukraine conflict. The mullahs believe it is in their interest to intervene in Ukraine on Russia’s behalf.
Zelensky doesn’t do himself any favors when he makes these types of hyperbolic accusations. They feed into allies’ misgivings about increasing their support for Ukraine. Going forward, the indelicate leader may want to try a new tactic when wooing potential partners. There’s a reason the charm offensive has remained a mainstay of diplomacy for thousands of years.