Volodymyr Zelenskyy hits out at Israel over refusal to impose embargoes on Russia amid war

During an dress to Hebrew University of Jerusalem on June 23, embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stepped up his criticism of Israel's failure to sanction Russia. Four months into Russia's assault on Ukraine, Zelenskyy's dress comes amid a new political crisis in Israel, with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid set to replace Naftali Bennett as prime minister of country within days.

Bennett has refrained from criticising Russia's incursion and has emphasised Israel's close relations with Moscow and Kyiv, despite fact that his ministration has not sanctioned Russian President Vlimir Putin's government. Notably, Lapid condemned Russia's actions as a "violation of world order" a few days after onset of invasion on February 24.

According to analysts, Israel's leers' contrasting rhetoric was planned in order to maintain Israeli neutrality. Zelenksyy, who has family in Israel and has visited country several times, said in a video presentation to Hebrew University that he has struggled to understand Jewish state's moderate stance toward Russia.

How can you not help victims of such aggression? Zelenskyy asks Israel

"How can you not help victims of such aggression?" Volodymyr Zelenksyy asked, condemning Israel's failure to provide military assistance to Ukraine. He furr ded, "I don’t how to answer questions that I always get about how has Israel helped and what else can Israel do. I am grateful to people of Israel. I am grateful for sincere and emotional support to people of Ukraine… but we would like to also get support from your government."

It is pertinent to note that Israeli government and large humanitarian organisations have dispatched humanitarian and medical aid to Ukraine, but no armaments have been delivered. Zelenskyy also recalled Ukraine's historical ties with Israel, a me he emphasised in a March speech to Israeli parliamentarians. In his speech on June 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's boyhood house in Kyiv was "five minutes" from his presidential office.

Zelenskyy also reminded Israel of its close relations with Ukraine and furr asked, "Why we have this miscommunication, misunderstanding with representatives of government, I don’t know." So far, Israel has taken a careful diplomatic stance in Ukraine war, in part to maintain Russian cooperation in Syria, where Israel frequently conducts air strikes with tacit approval from Moscow, which has forces in country.

Image: AP