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| Israel Urged To Side With Ukraine and Send Weapons |
Moscow - Russia responded strongly to an Israeli minister's insistence that his country side with Ukraine and immediately send weapons. According to Moscow, the call was frivolous that could destroy relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv.
Moscow's response was conveyed by Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. "Israel's potential decision to send weapons to Ukraine is very reckless," he said. "It will destroy all relations between our countries." The call for Israel to side with Ukraine was conveyed by the Minister for Diaspora Affairs of Israel, Nachman Shai.
According to him, it is time for his country to give Kiev weapons. Moreover, he said, there are reports that Iran's arch-enemy Israel has supplied kamikaze drones and is preparing to supply ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow's war in Ukraine. "The time has come for Ukraine to receive military assistance as well, as provided by the United States and NATO countries," Shai said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine and condemned Moscow's actions. However, they never imposed sanctions on Russia and only supported Kiev with non-lethal assistance.
Furthermore, Medvedev, who is also the former president of Russia, reminded Israel of Ukrainian figures who became Nazi collaborators during World War II. "Not to mention that [Stepan] Bandera is trash and remains a Nazi," he wrote on Telegram, as quoted by Russia Today, Tuesday (18/10/2022).
Bandera is a controversial Ukrainian national hero for having collaborated with the German Nazi regime during World War II. Medvedev said that if Israel were to provide weapons to such people, it could go further by declaring Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych another well-known Ukrainian Nazi collaborator, as their national heroes. The Israeli government has not officially responded to Nachman Shai's insistence on taking sides and supplying weapons to Ukraine.