Thus says the Lord of hosts: \;

be merciful and compassionate to each other.

Do not oppress the widow and the orphan, the stranger and the poor.

Do not plot evil against one another."

Zechariah chapter 7 Bible. New Russian translation.

I have repeatedly written and said that Israel occupies much more space on our Ukrainian mental map than it really deserves.. However, despite these seemingly obvious things, we have great attention to the position of this Middle Eastern country regarding Russian aggression and requires interpretation..

We have all witnessed the disdainful attitude of the Israeli Foreign Ministry even before the start of the war, the weak statements of its leaders, a series of demarches from both Tel Aviv and Kyiv. Positive expectations either found confirmation in numerous demonstrations of Ukrainian supporters on the streets of Israeli cities, or were destroyed by statements about the “abolition of the visa-free regime” between Ukraine and Israel, press reports about an alleged proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to surrender and accept the Kremlin’s demands.

In other words, no other country in the world sends such confusing and controversial messages as Israel..

It is enough to list all the initiatives: from mediation and the deployment of a field hospital on the border with Ukraine, the solidarity of ordinary people and journalists, on the one hand, to the shameful situation with Ukrainian refugees at the Israeli Ben Gurion Airport and rumors about the resettlement of Ukrainian Jews in settlements in the occupied territories; from the prayers of the chief rabbi of Ukraine, the courageous Moshe Reuven Asman, to the statements of the notorious Ukrainophobe Yakov Kedmi.

Let's make it clear that Israel is primarily guided by its own interests, and they do not always coincide with ours.. No, of course, if we are talking about fundamental things - about choosing the right side, then there are no questions here.. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has long and unequivocally spoken out on this issue: they say, we know our allied obligations and will be together with the United States. This, of course, if the question comes up. And if not, then no.

Finally, the result of such a decision is known: Israel supported the resolution of the UN General Assembly of March 2 and condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine. This has already caused a negative reaction from Russia, which hissed through its teeth about possible problems for Israel on the borders with Syria..

In this context, the Syrian and Iranian issues and the threats associated with them are much more important and relevant for Israel than the war in Eastern Europe.. Now I deliberately omit the issue of the security of Israelis and Jews who live on the territory of Ukraine: it, of course, is a priority for the Jewish state, and I say based on the strategic existential challenges that the Israeli leadership faces.

The decline of the US role in the Middle East is a trend that has remained stable since 2006, when it became clear that Washington was bogged down in the war in Iraq and there was no end in sight to this campaign.. The policy of reducing the American presence of Barack Obama and Donald Trump has become destructive for the long-term strategies of the countries of the Middle East, accustomed to relying on Washington.

The emergence of Russia in Syria and the nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015 radically changed the regional balance of power. The latter launched a large-scale expansion and rearmament program for its satellites, Hezbollah and the Houthis.. Hezbollah's missile rearmament remains an unbearable headache for Tel Aviv. The 2006 Lebanon campaign confirmed one basic problem for the Israeli army: the war with Hezbollah has no obvious prospects for victory.. It is associated with a significant threat of massive missile attacks on the Israeli north, and there is no guarantee that the famous Iron Dome missile defense system will be able to completely protect against defeat. And if the strikes arrive simultaneously from Syria and the Gaza Strip? And if from Iran? In other words, this is a problem that cannot be brushed aside..

Russia, according to Israeli leaders, may be the key to solving. No need to protest loudly after these words. This is their logic and it makes sense. To do this, they say in the Israeli Foreign Ministry, you just need not to irritate Moscow and regularly provide services. For example, transfer UAV technology to Russians. At one time, one smart Israeli diplomat, with whom we periodically met and exchanged views, asked me with surprise: “Igor, do the Russians really not understand that Iran is a threat? Why do they support them?

Obviously, the Israelis still continue to look for an answer, go to bow to Putin and dream that they will eventually be heard and understood.. In principle, this is all you need to know about Israel and the current situation..

There have been heated discussions since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was denied a speech to Knesset members due to " The more clear and obvious our victory becomes, the more the modality of the statements of the official Tel Aviv will change.. And this is good.

In the end, in the history of relations between our countries and our peoples, only great and sincere gratitude will remain to those Israelis who stood by our side in the struggle against a cruel enemy.. Our victory is the best guarantee that Russian and Iranian missiles will not fall on the peaceful cities of Israel.

Read more articles by Igor Semivolos at the link.