Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi: Israel changed its tune on Ukraine after Iran joined the war

Rabbi Moshe Azman told Netanyahu that Israel needed to do more to support Ukraine.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s neutral stance towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed dramatically after Iran took a role in the war, the embattled country’s chief rabbi told the UK Jewish News in an interview.

“It’s so simple. Look who their (Russia’s) friends are. They partnered with Iran, which seeks to destroy Israel. Their other friends are Syria, Belarus, North Korea and a few African countries,” Rabbi Moshe Azman told the newspaper.

Over the summer of 2022, it was first made public that Russia was using Iranian weapons in the war. Images of Shahed 131 and Shahed 136 drones in Ukrainian media were shown to have been repainted in Russian colors.

“That’s why [Israel] understand[s] now,” Azman said.

“Our foreign minister told me after he met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that Israel changed their situation,” Azman said, offering no further details.

According to the Ukrainian chief rabbi, he had met with then-rotating prime ministers Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, as well as then-opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu several times last year, urging them that Israel needed to do more to support Ukraine.

“Russia is on its northern border. But I told them that we need more from Israel,” Azman said, referring to the fact that Moscow controls Syria’s skies.

“I also met with Nir Barkat who was in the opposition then, and he told me that Israel needs to stand with the West (on Ukraine) and that as Jewish people they couldn’t just do nothing when civilians are being killed.”