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Israel will provide Ukraine with an early warning system against missiles as part of an aid package for Kyiv, as it condemned aggression from Russia
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the General Assembly on Monday that his country had provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the start of Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion because it was “the moral thing to do.”
Comparing Russia’s actions in Ukraine to the militant Hamas group’s attacks on Israel on October 7, Erdan said his country knows “exactly how it feels to be aggressively invaded, (and) to have our towns and cities attacked” as he took aim at the “paralyzed” UN for not condemning the massacre that preceded the war in Gaza.
Gilad Erdan speaks at a Security Council meeting on January 23, 2024, in New York City. The envoy said Israel would provide Ukraine with defense systems to help it fight Russian aggression. Gilad Erdan speaks at a Security Council meeting on January 23, 2024, in New York City. The envoy said Israel would provide Ukraine with defense systems to help it fight Russian aggression. Getty Images
“Both of our countries—Ukraine and Israel—are fighting a battle for our survival,” Erdan said, as he touted 100 million tons of humanitarian aid Israel provided to Kyiv in the early weeks of the war.
“The state of Israel will always remain committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said, telling the assembly that his country was “working to provide Ukraine with early warning systems to save civilian lives from Russia’s indiscriminate missile and drone attacks.”
He added that Russia would be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow, making “it one of the only places outside of the Middle East where Hamas terrorists and Houthi Jihadists are given the red-carpet treatment, even after October 7.”
Social media users noted how Erdan’s comments have signaled a shift in Israel’s position, which at the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion saw it try to hold a neutral stance and maintain ties with both Ukraine and Russia.
Extraordinary!
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, delivered a speech in which he totally torched Russia. He not only announced that Israel is going to provide an early warning systems against missiles for Ukraine but also called Ukraine an “ally”. He also equates Russia… https://t.co/sA3a6DnKrr pic.twitter.com/HbrvawXxr8
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) February 27, 2024
“Interesting. Israel has been rather neutral between Russia and Ukraine before, so this is a big positive change. Surprising that it did not occur earlier,” wrote economist and author Anders Aslund on X.
“Extraordinary!” wrote (((Tendar))) a pro-Ukrainian X user who posts about the war, noting that Erdan “totally torched Russia.”.
“You can be sure that this speech comes in coordination with the Israeli Prime Minister. It clearly marks the end of the relationship between Putin and (Benjamin) Netanyahu,” the post added.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel is concerned at the growing cooperation between Russia and Iran, which supplies Moscow with drones to target Ukrainian infrastructure.
Tehran-aligned groups in the Middle East, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen, have also stepped up their attacks on Israel in the wake of the war in Gaza, leading Israel to cool Russian-Israeli ties while strengthening those with Ukraine, the newspaper noted.
Newsweek contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular the war started by Moscow. He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China.
Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English, knows Russian and French.
You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole.
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular … Read more
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