Analysis: has Israel’s position on the war begun to shift?
Our foreign editor Michael Daventry examines Israel's condemnation of the self-styled referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
When historians look back on the events of this week, will they mark it as the moment that Israel’s stance on the war in Ukraine began to shift?
Quite possibly.
This was the week when Russia announced the result of its self-styled referendums in the regions of Ukraine that it occupies. They surprised no-one: the regions all decided – if that is the correct word – to leave Ukraine and become a part of Russia.
Few Jewish News readers would argue that the voting in Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia was free and fair. The more pertinent question is how Israel, which has spent much of this war trying to keep itself out of it, would respond to a brazen attempt to divide Ukrainian territory.
The reasons for Israel’s indecision are well-documented: it has a large Russian-speaking population, it has closed military and economic ties with the United States, and the IDF needs to maintain contact with the Russian armed forces for its missions against Iranian-backed forces in Syria.
All of these have made for a tricky balancing act.
But this week, there was a public shift. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said plainly that it “will not accept the results of the referendum in the eastern districts of Ukraine.” It’s a position that aligns it with much of the western world.
And that follows more gradual changes over recent months. Israel has been absorbing migrants in their thousands from Ukraine. Some of them are Jewish; many are not. Some are wounded Ukrainian troops arriving for medical treatment.
Then there’s the disgruntlement caused by a legal dispute over the future of the Jewish Agency in Russia, which authorities there want to shut down. That case resumes next month.
None of these examples are to suggest Israel is about to sever its relations with Russia and begin to supply Ukraine with weapons and defence systems.
But they are clear signs that Israelis are no longer sitting on the fence as much as they were.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
