As Russian troops continue to shell key cities in Ukraine, an Israeli delegation led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on March 5 traveled to Moscow in an attempt to mediate the conflict that has already cost the lives of at least 351 civilians since February 24. Following a three-hour conversation with President Vladimir Putin that reportedly focused on “the war in Ukraine, including the situation of Israelis and Jewish communities as a result of the conflict,” Bennett updated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as European leaders, on the developments.
Bennett became the first world leader to be received at the Kremlin since Russia’s military action in Ukraine began. Saturday’s meeting — coordinated in advance with the United States and other players — is in line with what the Israeli premier has on multiple occasions described as a “measured and responsible” approach to resolving the crisis.
Israel maintains good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Indeed, Kyiv has repeatedly requested that the Jewish state act as an intermediary. According to Israel’s public broadcaster, Zelenskyy, in a call with Bennett, expressed a preference for negotiations to take place in Jerusalem. “We will continue to help as long as we are asked,” Bennett said upon returning to Israel. “Even if the chances are not great, at the moment that there is even a small opening, and we have access to all sides and the ability, I see it as our moral responsibility to make every attempt.”
Yet as Israel steps up its efforts to help stop the bloodshed and assist Ukraine’s civilian population through humanitarian assistance, major media outlets continue to misrepresent Jerusalem’s approach. Here are three issues news outlets have misinformed their readers about:
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1. Israel’s Russia Policy: A ‘Delicate Balancing Act’
Israel’s “delicate balancing act” towards Russia has been misinterpreted by several publications as a refusal to criticize Moscow’s actions. For example, on March 5, the LA Times published an article that included the following sentence: “Like China, Israel has been loath to criticize Russia.” The Associated Press wire service on March 2 similarly asserted that Israel “has been muted in its criticism of Russia.”
Neither of the articles actually bothered to cite Israeli statements backing Ukraine. On February 24, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Twitter called the “Russian attack on Ukraine” a “serious violation of the international order,” and offered humanitarian aid to the country’s citizens. Following Lapid’s statement, Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Alexander Ben Zvi was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
A day earlier, hours before Russia’s full-scale military campaign began, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement in support of the “territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine.” The missive said that Israel “hopes for a diplomatic solution which will lead to calm, and is willing to help if asked.”
Remarks by FM @yairlapid 🇺🇦🧵
The Russian attack on Ukraine is a serious violation of the international order. Israel condemns the attack, and is ready and prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Ukraine. ⬇️
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 24, 2022
Last week, Prime Minister Bennett started the weekly cabinet meeting by saying that Israelis are “praying for the wellbeing of the citizens of Ukraine and hope that additional bloodshed will be avoided.” On March 2, during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the premier called for an “immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” while stressing that the Jewish state “identif[ies] with the citizens that are under considerable danger and stress in Kyiv, Kharkiv, in the south and in other locations.”
Related Video: As Israel Saves Ukrainian Lives, Media Distort Jerusalem’s Position on Russia Invasion
2. The Geopolitical Realities
While Israel has clearly come out in support of the Ukrainian people, Jerusalem must at the same time navigate a complex geopolitical reality. Russia is the leading actor in Syria, where the Israel Defense Forces must maintain freedom of action to thwart Iranian terrorism.
To this end, Israel and Russia have been using a deconfliction mechanism that helps avoid any unwanted conflict between the two. Jerusalem’s so-called “war-between-wars” campaign has seen hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian targets in the country, including convoys of advanced weaponry heading to Hezbollah in Lebanon, keeping Israel’s citizens safe.
The need for Israel to keep the lines of communication with Russia open is especially pressing given the fact that Washington announced that it plans to continue engaging with Moscow on a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which experts expect will not contain restrictions on the Islamic Republic’s support for terror proxies across the Middle East.
Yet this complexity seems lost on some journalists. CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour last week slammed Israel for not signing on to a US-sponsored resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that deplored Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine “in the strongest terms” as violating Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.
The CNN host failed to mention that Israel is not a member of the UNSC, which has only 15 members. For the record: when a similar resolution was submitted to the UN General Assembly, Israel sided with the 141 countries that condemned Russia — and it even helped the US rally votes in favor.
Israel is a close ally of the US, yet has not supported the US over Ukraine. “I’m deeply disappointed that they have not supported the United States,” says former US Defense Secretary William Cohen. “They do have to make a decision here.” pic.twitter.com/nIYzxKHHPL
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) March 1, 2022
“[…] Israel is also a US ally and did not support the United States-backed resolution in the Security Council,” Amanpour nevertheless said on air. “After all the times the US has bent over backward to support Israel — all the time — at the UN and in all global forums… I mean, can you even understand why Israel has not gone […] to read Putin the riot act?”
She added: “I have to say I’m really stunned like you that this hasn’t really, you know, affected Israel, where their morality is.” Seemingly, Israel’s security needs are insignificant to Amanpour.
Related Reading: Media, Take Note: It’s Not Israel Vs. Iran, It’s Iran Vs. Most of Middle East
3. Israel’s Extensive Humanitarian Aid
Multiple news outlets have panned Israel over its reported refusal to provide Ukraine with military assistance. Take, for instance, this March 3 piece by Foreign Policy: “Israel has dispatched humanitarian aid to the region but refrained from rendering any military assistance, even, according to unconfirmed reports, scuttling a US bid to transfer Iron Dome defensive missile batteries to Ukraine.” Several media pundits expressed similar sentiments (see here and here).
Glaringly absent from these reports was the fact that the Iron Dome system would most likely not be effective against Russian weaponry, as Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk admitted: “Russia uses completely different weapons from the Palestinians, so Iron Dome would probably not help us.”
Meanwhile, the scope of Israel’s humanitarian operation — one of the largest in tiny Israel’s history — goes mostly unreported. Last week, Israeli planes delivered at least 100 tons of aid to the war-torn country, including medical supplies. The shipment also contained water purification systems, 15,000 blankets, sleeping bags and tents for 3,000 people, as well as 2,700 winter coats.
As part of its ongoing efforts to provide relief to victims of the war, Israel’s Health Ministry on March 6 announced that it would set up a field hospital in Ukraine. The hospital will include wards for children and adults, an emergency room, a delivery room, and a primary care clinic. In addition, the Jewish state will transfer “six huge generators” to the hospital of Lviv, allowing “continuous operation [of the hospital] even without a power supply.”
At the same time, Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Ministry has been preparing in recent weeks for the absorption of thousands of immigrants from Ukraine. Immigrants who come from Ukraine will receive a significant one-time grant promised to people arriving from battle zones. In addition, these new Israeli citizens will qualify for financial packages and temporary housing. In recent days, Israel welcomed several planes bringing Ukrainian refugees to the country, including 100 orphans.
All the while, the Jewish state has helped rescue thousands of people from the war zone — including citizens of states that are hostile to Israel such as Lebanon — a fact that has also been absent from the media coverage.
Over 100 Jewish Ukrainian orphans leaving Romania for Israel. El Al has Ukrainian-speaking staff on the flight, plus sweets and toys for the kids. https://t.co/0Gl176RO60
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 6, 2022
Related Reading: Prominent Black Lives Matter Figure Shaun King Equates Ukrainian Resistance to Palestinian Attacks Against Israel
As HonestReporting pointed out in a March 1 critique, comparisons between the Russian attack on Ukraine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, as most recently published in The Nation, have no basis in reality. However, there’s one issue that affects both conflicts: disinformation. On this note, we invite you to read this comprehensive piece by The Wall Street Journal on how to tell fact from fiction.
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