Ukraine’s Envoy Slams Israel for Not Supplying Defense Systems
Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Kornichuk accused Israel of staying in its “comfort zone” while not providing Ukraine with Iron Dome missile defense batteries and anti-tank defense systems.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Kornichuk, accused the Israeli government of not standing with Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
As Israel protects its citizens living near the Gaza Strip from Hamas fire, Ukraine must protect its citizens, Kornichuk said during a news conference on Tuesday in Tel Aviv. “The residents of Israel show love and sympathy for us. The government also shows empathy in its speech, but when it comes to actions, that is something else,” he said, referring to Israel’s refusal to supply Ukraine with the Iron Dome missile defense system.
“While Russia slaughters our citizens, the Israeli government remains in its ‘comfort zone’ and refrains from providing Ukraine with minimal defensive assistance. We ask Israel for a defense in the form of an Iron Dome and similar defensive tools,” he added.
Another weapon system Israel has prevented from being sent to Ukraine, is the Spike SR anti-tank missile. According to Kornichuk, Israel refused to allow the Israeli-developed anti-tank missiles from Germany to be delivered to Ukraine last week despite American approval to do so. Anti-tank missiles, as well as air-defense systems such as Iron Dome, play a vital role in the fight against the Russian military since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
The residents of Israel show love and sympathy for us. The government also shows empathy in its speech, but when it comes to actions, that is something else.
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“Israel is fully invested in humanitarian aid, including two airplanes that are expected to take off in the coming days and a field hospital built in Ukraine, which took care of over 6,000 people,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response to questions from The Media Line. “Israel is in the right place, and it shows in statements, voting and Israel’s concrete policy,” the ministry also noted. The Media Line asked whether Russia or Ukraine has sent messages regarding Israel’s support for Ukraine, But the ministry refused to comment on “inner diplomatic conversations.”
Israel’s Ministry of Defense refused to respond to inquiries from The Media Line about whether there is an option to supply Ukraine with any military aid, and what are the considerations in not doing so. Israel supplied 2,000 helmets and 500 vests to civilian organizations in Ukraine in mid-May, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Ukraine is publicly criticizing Israel for not supporting it directly. On May 17, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Times of Israel that his “number one demand is to stop blocking weapon sales to Ukraine. Israeli kamikaze drones are one of the best in the world and we need to buy them.”
Israel has been keeping a relatively neutral stance toward the war in Ukraine and has refrained from joining sanctions on Russia and even condemnations issued by NATO members. Israeli support to Ukraine has become controversial in the country. In a speech on Tuesday, Israel’s former Mossad intelligence agency chief Tamir Pardo explained that “Israel is on the fence because of security interests,” adding that it “thought it could benefit from two different worlds,” referring to Israel’s sensitive relations with Russia.
“It’s a big front, much bigger than just Ukraine and Russia. And Israel is now part of it. We are the only country involved which has a direct front with Russia – in Syria. It makes considerations very sensitive, because we already have an understanding with the Russians that both sides do not supply weapons to the other side’s rivals,” Zvi Magen, former ambassador of Israel to both Russia and Ukraine, told The Media Line. “Ukraine is holding up thanks to accurate weapon systems. Supplying them with Iron Dome and SR-Spike could put Russia in the worst position it has been in since the beginning of the war. It could push them to supply the Syrians with advanced anti-aircraft systems, such as S-300.”
It’s a big front, much bigger than just Ukraine and Russia. And Israel is now part of it. We are the only country involved which has a direct front with Russia – in Syria.
Magen, who is currently head of the Russia research program at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), emphasized that Israel tries to support Ukraine in other ways, such as with humanitarian aid, and by allowing other countries to sell Israeli-developed systems to Ukraine.
Both the Ukrainian and Russian embassies in Israel did not respond to requests for comment by The Media Line.
