During an hour-long interview in a bunker in Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made no secret of his disappointment with Israel for not taking a clear stand in support of Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

“How can you do this?”

I can’t understand it. Like Jews, and I am a Jew, my family experienced the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust, and I cannot understand how Israel can stand aside and watch from the outside when the next wave of Nazism has arrived this year. Maybe other countries can do it – but how can you do it? I don’t understand this

The president said in an interview broadcast on Israeli television late Monday.

At the same time, the president acknowledged that in recent days there has been a marked change in Israel’s attitude, perhaps because it has decided to hand over the long-requested military communications system to the Ukrainian army.

News of the delivery of Israeli equipment was announced late Monday by The Jerusalem Post.

Iron Dome

The Ukrainian president in an interview with reporters from the “Uvda” program said that Ukraine had asked Israel for a communication system several months ago, even before asking for an air defense system. Zelenskiy also remembered that he had raised the issue of the Iron Dome many times.

I’ve talked about Iron Dome with three prime ministers and it’s a different period of war. Even before the invasion, we approached Netanyahu for the Iron Dome. The situation for us isn’t too complicated, because the invasion hasn’t started yet

– added.

The Ukrainian government urges Israel to provide further support to Ukraine in the face of the ongoing invasion of Russia, although Israeli officials are hesitant to engage in more than just humanitarian aid, writes The Jerusalem Post.

Zelenskiy said that Israel’s reluctance to provide Ukraine with defense assistance does not concern national security, but “about the attitude towards Putin, his policies, and maybe they are afraid, someone is afraid, especially Putin.”

The Ukrainian president also referred to efforts earlier this year by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, saying: “Russia doesn’t need a mediator, they just want someone to delay something. They saw such a person in Bennetta. They used him. He wanted to stop the war, but couldn’t.

“We fight Iran every day”

Referring to the deepening cooperation between Russia and Iran, which is equipping the Russian army with precision munitions, such as rockets and drones, which are used to strike civilian targets across Ukraine, the president said: “We fought Iran every day, with Iranian weapons, every day for the past month”.

Zelenskiy stressed that Israel must “choose sides” in the conflict. The president reminded European countries that remained silent during World War II and said that Israel should avoid any resemblance to these countries.

When asked what his choice was between compromising and dragging the world into nuclear war, Zelensky replied: “I don’t compromise with terrorists.”

Criminal Code/PAP