Appeal of Ukrainian Jews to the President, Government, Knesset, and Civil Society of Israel

[Editor’s note: From Euromaidan Press, where the English-language version of the appeal was published: After Russia launched an attack on Kyiv with Iranian Shahed-136 drones, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked Israel to provide air defense weapons. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz rejected the request, mainly because Israel depends on cooperation with Russia to conduct Israeli air raids in Syria. Israel, he said, would provide early warning systems, but not air defense systems. In response, Ukrainian Jews and civic leaders have launched an open appeal to Israel, calling on the country to supply weapons to destroy Iranian drones.]

Dear brothers and friends!

The Russian Federation launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine eight months ago. Thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian soldiers and officers, as well as the tenacity of the Ukrainian people, the aggressor failed. Furthermore, it appears to have been a turning point in the course of hostilities in recent months. Recent events demonstrate that in this losing military situation, the enemy has chosen the tactics of massive rocket fire and kamikaze drone attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure facilities critical to the population’s survival.

The Jews of Ukraine are victims of the Russian army’s hostilities, occupation, and war crimes, just like the entire Ukrainian people, of which they are an organic part. Tens of thousands of Jews were forced to leave, and hundreds died. The vast majority of them are civilians who were hit by Russian missiles, bombs, and shells in their own homes, on their way to work, during the evacuation.

Objects of the Jewish community’s infrastructure are being damaged and destroyed across the country, including memorials to the Holocaust victims, cemeteries, and synagogues. Rocket attacks hit synagogues not only in the war zone, such as Kharkiv and Mariupol but also in cities located tens or hundreds of kilometers from the frontline, such as Zaporizhzhia or Chortkiv in the Ternopil Oblasts in the west of the country.

The United States, Europe, and all civilized countries of the free world provide financial, humanitarian, and military-technical assistance to the Ukrainian people and army. Providing Ukraine with weapons that will aid the Armed Forces of Ukraine in achieving an early victory is the main factor in hastening the long-awaited peace.

We expected Israel’s understanding and support from the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Israel has been fighting for its survival against a fanatical enemy determined to destroy it since its inception. The Israeli people, more than anyone else, understand what it is like when the enemy, unable to win a conventional war, resorts to massive, targeted terror against civilians. We are sad to admit that our pleas for assistance have been almost entirely futile.

The Israeli government’s passive position of pseudo-neutrality, which benefits only the aggressor, raises more and more questions.

We are well aware of the security concerns that Israel’s responsible leaders are guided by.

However, we believe that the logic that led to the government’s criminal inaction is not only immoral but also unjustified. The desire to avoid antagonizing Russia is no different from the attempts to appease terrorists. Both Ukraine and Israel are well aware of the dangers of such behavior.

Russia is a clear and present danger to the entire civilized world. After some deliberation and unfulfilled hopes for Israel’s support, Russia has finally chosen its allies in the Middle East, and this is not Israel. Today, when the military alliance of the Kremlin regime with the Tehran mullahs and Palestinian terrorists has finally taken shape, this should finally become clear in Jerusalem as well.

Friends, it is not too late to join the alliance of democratic and free nations. Ukraine requires your assistance. Every day, dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles of Iranian origin fall upon our cities. Israel certainly has the technology to deal effectively with such a threat.

Help Ukraine reduce the number of innocent victims of inhuman aggression.

Take your place on the bright and fair side of history.

Signed:

1. Josef Zissels, Executive Co-President of the Vaad of Ukraine, Kyiv
2. Vyacheslav Likhachev, Head of the Group for Monitoring and Analysis of Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia of the Congress of National Communities of Ukraine, Kyiv
3. Anatoliy Podolsky, Director of the Ukrainian Center for the Study of the History of the Holocaust, Kyiv
4. Halyna Kharaz, coordinator of the volunteers of the program “Renewal during war”, Kyiv
5. Lyudmyla Brahinska, Program Director of the Vaad of Ukraine, Kyiv
6. Borys Finkelstein, design engineer, Kyiv
7. Mykhailo Livinsky, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Batkivshchyna faction, Kyiv
8. Dr. Boris Stivelman, Program Director, Israeli Lyceum, Kfar Saba, Israel
9. Dr. Anatoliy Vyshevsky, Professor of Russian Language and Literature, Prague
10. Yakov Baranov, head of the Jewish community in Chortkiv, Ternopil Oblast
11. Arnold Lesovoy, editor, Israel
12. Iosif Karpin, ex-head of the Jewish community of Drohobych, Lviv Oblast, Germany
13. Pavlo Feldblum, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine, Kyiv
14. Yakov Fiksler, chairman of the Jewish community of Tyachiv, Transcarpathia
15. Ihor Kheykhel, businessman, Donetsk-Kyiv-Dusseldorf
16. Natalia Lvovska, Donetsk-Kyiv-Dusseldorf
17. Borys Zakharov, Director of the Charitable Foundation “Lyudyna and Pravo”, Kyiv-Drohobych
18. Felix Zuckerman, lecturer, Chernivtsi
19. Efim Marmer, chairman of the Jewish community, Krushelnitsky
20. Yevhen Lavrenchuk, director, Honored Artist of Ukraine, Lviv
21. Roman Bronfman, ex-deputy of the Knesset of four convocations, Israel
22. Oleksandra Yanovska, professor, member of the Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Kyiv
23. Albert Feldman, Head of the Israeli Medical Mission in Ukraine, Kyiv
24. Anna and Anatoliy Dermainer, pensioners, Safed, Israel
25. Arkadiy Milman, ex-Ambassador of Israel to Russia, Israel
26. Alik Gomelsky, historian, writer, Toronto, Canada
27. Lyuba Wenger, pensioner, Kyiv
28. Svitlana Roiz, psychologist, Kyiv
29. Dr. Kateryna Malakhova, Head of the Jewish Studies Network Program, Kyiv-Jerusalem
30. Elena Abramska, social worker, Kyiv
31. Alexander Epelboim, entrepreneur, Vinnytsia
32. Professor Shmuel Silberg, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
33. Tatiana and Alexander Paskhaver, Haboken, New Jersey, USA
34. Yechiel Fishzon, poet, tour guide, Jerusalem
35. Karl Volokh, businessman, blogger, Kyiv
36. Olga Rogova, choreographer, Rishon Lezion, Israel
37. Vitaliy Portnikov, publicist, Kyiv
38. Yakov Zalishchiker, head of the Jewish community, Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
39. Ihor Romanov, Executive Director of the Jewish Community of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Dnipro
40. Serhiy Kaluzhanyn, businessman, member of the Board of Trustees of the Vaad of Ukraine
41. Vyacheslav Feldman, co-founder of NGO “Israeli friends of Ukraine”, Israel
42. Leonid Goldman, Head of the Jewish community of Drohobych, Lviv Oblast
43. Konstantin Sigov, PhD, NaUKMA, Kyiv
44. Rav Moshe Kolesnik, chief rabbi of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
45. Igor Perelman, Head of regional Jewish community, Ivano-Frankivsk
46. Volodimir Marinskij, deputy of CEO of the company Ost-West Express, Kyiv
47. Volodimir Shpilfogel, CEO of the Company Ost-West Express, member of the Board of Trustee of the VAAD of Ukraine, Kyiv
48. Leonid Finberg, director of the Center of Historical and Cultural study of Eastern European Jewry of NaUKMA
49. Olena Finberg, doctor, Kyiv
50. Igor Kuperberg, member of the VAAD of Ukraine, Kyiv
51. Volodimir Kats, Head of the Jewish community of Hust, Zakarpattia Oblast
52. Anna Zander, psychologist, Kyiv
53. Artem Fedorchuk, director of The International Center of Jewish education and field research, Kfar Eldad, Israel
54. Akiva Oleksandr Gildur, Head of the board of religious organization “Bavy”, Kyiv
55. Oleg Vugman, businessman, member of the Board of Trustees of the VAAD of Ukraine
56. Mihailo Gold, editor-in-chief of “Hadashot” online newspaper
57. Yuhim Marmer, editor-in-chief of “ Ukraine- Center” newspaper, board chairman of Kirovohrad Jewish community
58. Yakob Fiksler, Head of the Judaic community of Tyiachiv and Rakhiv districts of Zakarpattia Oblast
59. Semen Belman, member of the Presidium Association of Jewish organizations and communities of Ukraine, honored cultural worker of Ukraine
60. Nina Lozovatska, Head of the Jewish cultural community of Smela, Cherkasy Oblast
61. Anna Rojzner, pensioner, Kyiv
62. Yurij Erkis, Head of Jewish community of Ovruch
63. Volodimir Myakota, urban Jewish community of Lubny
64. Volodimir Muzychenko, Head of the Jewish community of Volodimir-Volynsky, Volyn Oblast
65. Natalya Bakulina, director of the Jewish Education Center of Ukraine, Kyiv
66. Arkadii Vasilev, Head of the board of the Sholom-Aleichem Truskavets Jewish society, Lviv Oblast
67. Mikola Kushnir, director of Chernivtsi museum of history and culture of the Bukovinian Jews
68. Members of society Bet Am of Poltava
69. Igor Shishko, Head of the Jewish community of Hlukhiv
70. Larisa Volovik, Founder President of Harkyv Museum of Holocaust
71. Genadij Henkin, Municipal cultural and educational charity organization of the Jewish community of Lubny
72. Irina Muravska, Jewish community of Kramatorsk
73. Inna Fridkina, Head of the regional Jewish community of Sharhorod, Vinnytsia Oblast
74. Oleksandr Shved, Head of Jewish community of Borispil, Kyiv Oblast
75. Grigorij Falkovich, Sholom-Aleichem Cultural and educational society in Kyiv
76. Volodimir Kats, Head of the community of Hust
77. Yelyzaveta Sherstyuk, Head of Judaic religious community, Sumy
78. Jewish community of Ivankiv, Kyiv Oblast
79. Yakiv Zalishiker, Head of the Jewish community, Kolomyia
80. Marat Strakovskij, Director of Osher Shvartsman Jewish Library, Kyiv
81. Illya Olanovskij, Assistant to the Chief Rabbi of Zhytomyr and Western Ukraine
82. Chief Rabbi of Zhytomyr and Western Ukraine Shlomo Vilgelm, The President BF Or Avner
83. Shapsa Averbukh, Head of one of the Jewish communities of Chernivtsy
84. Borislav Bereza, deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation, ex-serviceman of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
85. Mykhailo Feldman, founder of “Academy of changes”, Kyiv- Chernivtsi
86. Peter Pomerantsev, author and researcher at Johns Hopkins University, USA
87. Borys Treiherman, political technologist (Ukraine-Moldova)
88. Viktor Yelenskyi, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Kyiv
89. Ella and Mykhailo Shuster, founders of Rimon, Ukraine-Israel, Khmelnytsky
90. Felix Woolis, businessman, California, USA
91. Felix Levitas, professor of history. Kyiv
92. Alla Agafonova, Jewish community of Mukachevo, Zakarpattia
93. Oleksandr Hovshievych, head of the Jewish community, Tulchyn, Vinnytsia Oblast (on behalf of the community)
94. Borys Lozhkin, president of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine
95. Oleksandr Redko, businessman, Ukraine-Israel, Kyiv
96. Oleg Margolin, volunteer, Jewish community of Zaporizhzhia
97. Valeriy Pekar, entrepreneur, adjunct professor at NaUKMA business school
98. Yevhen Zakharov, human rights activist, director of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group, Kharkiv
99. Ilya Bezruchko, executive director of BeeWorking, journalist, blogger, Kyiv
100. Alisa Rostovtseva, Jewish community, Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast
101. Bronislav Tutelman, artist, member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine, Honored Artist of Ukraine
102. Oleksandr Litinetsky, businessman, Jewish community of Luhansk, Ukraine-Israel
103. Rav Hillel Cohen, Rabbi, Kyiv
104. Dr. Serhiy Kravtsov, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
105. Andriy Adamovskyi, businessman, former co-president of Vaad of Ukraine, member of the Board of Trustees of Vaad of Ukraine
106. Kira and Felix Scheinerman, New York, USA.
107. Jewish community of Bohuslav, Kyiv Oblast
108. Oleg Magur-Pronkenko, artist, art and history teacher
109. Netta Schneider, General Director of the “Universal Agency…”, Ukraine-Israel
110. Mykhailo Ratynskyi
111. Yuriy Korogodsky, journalist, historian, Kyiv

Originally appeared in Euromaidan Press. The Ukrainian-language version of the appeal is available here. The collection of signatures of Ukrainian Jews continues. To sign on to the appeal, please send a letter to the address: [email protected].