Ukraine’s Bitter Lesson for Israel

 I received a heart-breaking email this morning from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the umbrella organization of conservative synagogues in North America. It was an update about the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Jewish communities in the eastern part of the country.

Allow me to share a passage from the email. "Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine is only 100 kilometers from the border with Russia, and has been the hardest hit so far, experiencing explosions in the early hours of this morning. Entrances and exits to the city, as well as schools have already been closed and the Russian army is getting closer. We are trying to get all of our communities in Ukraine to our western most community in Chernivtsi, as it is the safest option right now, where Rabbi Reuven and Lena Stamov, our shlichim (representatives) in Ukraine are currently with their family. They are organizing immediate transport, and reserving accommodations for refugees fleeing from other cities."

As I write this Shabbat message, it is Thursday afternoon. The situation on the ground in Ukraine has changed for the worse since this morning and I fully expect it will be worse by the time you read this on Friday.  We are witnessing in real time the largest military invasion in Europe since 1939.  What a tragedy.  We support an independent and free Ukraine and oppose any and all Russian efforts to subjugate its neighbors.

Two years ago, David Horowitz, the editor of TimesofIsrael.com, and our 2015 guest speaker at the inaugural event of our Harold Lerman Fund for Israel Education and Engagement interviewed the then newly elected president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. During the course of the interview, they spoke at length about the significant threat posed by Russian troops who had occupied Eastern Ukraine in 2014. Today, Ukraine's worst nightmare has now materialized. However brave, proud and defiant, Zelensky finds himself in the midst of a full-scale Russian invasion, massively out gunned, and uncertain of the support he can receive from the international community. But he is sure of one thing: whatever the international powers may have planned, Ukrainian soldiers will face the Russians alone.

During the course of the interview, President Zelensky made another point that every American who cares about Israel needs to consider. He told Mr. Horowitz  ".... there are many countries in the world that can protect themselves, but Israel, such a small country cannot only protect itself, but facing external threats, can respond."

One can only imagine that he wished he was in a similar position to respond to Russian aggression. It is precisely the inability to do so that has led to the sorry and dangerous situation that he and his government now face.

I am not a politician, a general or a military strategist. So I would not dream of offering any advice to Mr Zelensky. But I do know what those who care about Israel must do. We must make sure that Israel always has the means to respond to the threats directed towards it each day. Just because it's not in the news right now doesn't mean that Israel can rest easy. It faces Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, who as we speak have over 100,000 rockets aimed at Israel. 100,000 -- that's not a typo. They also possess anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, as well as thousands of anti-tank missiles.  On the Syrian border, it faces not only Hezbollah units and tanks, but Iranian military forces that Russia has allowed to operate there.  It faces terrorist threats every day emanating from the Hamas controlled Gaza strip as well as the areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority. You don't hear of them because Israel is so adept at stopping them. Sadly, we only hear of the failures. And even as this goes on, press reports indicate that the Biden administration will soon approve a second Iranian nuclear deal, even worse than the one signed during the Obama administration. Israel faces external threats that until yesterday, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, no other democratic nation faces.

So we must do our part:

• To make sure that the United States’ long-standing commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME), which forms a central pillar of Israel’s security strategy, is secure. 
• To make sure Israel has access to the best of American military hardware, including funding for projects like Iron Dome, and advanced warplanes.
• To oppose any and all efforts in Congress to suspend or postpone the sale of military hardware and equipment to Israel as has been suggested in recent years as a means to pressure Israel.
• And above all, to maintain bipartisan support for Israel that has characterized the pro-Israel community's approach in Washington for two generations, so threatened by current political trends in our country.

I have been thinking all day about that email updating Rabbis and synagogues as to the dire situation that Jews, and their fellow Ukrainian citizens face at this moment. Sadly, they will not enjoy a Shabbat shalom.

Luckily, Israel will. Let's do what we can do to make sure that continues eternally. That is Ukraine’s bitter lesson for Israel, and for all who oppose foreign aggression.