Saturday, March 12, 2022

SHAME ON ISRAEL FOR NOT HELPING UKRAINE


As a committed Zionist and Israel booster, I've always been proud of the country's achievements especially its military which has proved itself fabulously successful over the many wars.

But Israel's lack of tangible support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression is disturbing and shameful, especially considering the history of the holocaust where country after country turned a blind eye to the extermination of the Jewish people from Europe some eighty years ago.

Sadly and pathetically, Israel is now doing the same to the Ukrainians.

Israel has been loathe to criticize Vladimir Putin for fear of antagonizing Russia, a strategic player in the middle east.
Like Britain's Neville Chamberlain before him, Prime Minister Bennett made a journey to Russia to meet the madman Putin,  purportedly to mediate but realistically to show neutrality.

How cowardly and shameful!

And like
Chamberlain's humiliating legacy, history will be harsh on those who seek to appease Putin, who like Hitler entertains negotiations only as a pretext and time-delay device.

One can understand Israel's reluctance to get involved considering Russia's giant footprint in Syria. Israel is jealously protecting the informal understanding that it has with Russia concerning freedom of action in attacking Iranian installations in Syria as long as it doesn't threaten the current Syrian regime.

But taking the political expedient tact instead of taking the moral high ground is exactly what Israel has lambasted other countries for doing for 50 years, abstaining in United Nations on resolution after resolution castigating Israel.

And now Israel has abstained in a United Nation resolution condemning Russia, not because the resolution is faulty but rather because it is inconvenient.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield protested to her Israeli counterpart over Israel's refusal to join 87 countries in backing a U.S.-led resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the UN Security Council on Friday, Israeli officials tell Axios.

Israel has attempted to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine during the crisis, and has even offered to serve as a mediator. But that fence-sitting has resulted in criticism from both sides and now from the U.S.

  • The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry had been claiming for weeks that the Biden administration understood Israel's need to calibrate its reaction to the Russian invasion in order to maintain its security coordination with Russia in Syria.
  • But Israel dragged its feet as the U.S. was gathering co-sponsors for the resolution and did not provide a clear answer before the meeting began.
  • After the vote, which Russia vetoed, Thomas-Greenfield passed a message to the Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan stressing the Biden administration’s disappointment  Link

Disgraceful...

While Israel has sent much-needed humanitarian aid to Ukraine, it hasn't sent what Ukraine most covets from Israel, that is, its large fleet of drones and defensive missiles like Iron Dome.

In fact, Israel has sent no weapons at all to Ukraine while just about every western country in the world has rushed to Ukraine's military defence

Germany will deliver 1,000 anti-tank rocket launchers, 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, nine Howitzers, 14 armoured vehicles and 10,000 tonnes of fuel to Ukraine.

Sweden announced that it would deliver anti-tank weapons to Kyiv.

France, for its part, has committed defence equipment and fuel support.

Belgian is promising 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel, 3,000 additional automatic rifles and 200 anti-tank weapons.

Portugal has offered protective equipment such as bulletproof vests and helmets as well as night vision goggles, grenades and ammunition of various calibres.

The Czech Republic is sending 30,000 pistols, 7,000 assault rifles, 3,000 machine guns and several dozen sniper rifles as well as one million rounds of ammunition.
Romania is providing fuel, body armour, helmets, ammunition and other military equipment.

Canada announced the sending of military protective equipment, such as helmets and bulletproof vests but also anti-tank weapons systems and upgraded ammunition.Finland, a country that is not yet aligned with NATO but is a member of the EU, announced a historic policy shift to send weapons to Ukraine, promising 2,500 assault rifles, 150,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,500 rocket launchers and 70,000 field rations.

Denmark announced that it would be sending 2,700 anti-tank weapons and would let Danish volunteers join International Brigades forming in Ukraine to defend the country.

Norway, which had already announced on Sunday shipments of helmets and bulletproof vests, said  it would also be sending 2,000 M72 anti-tank weapons.

Croatia is sending €16 million worth of protective gear and light arms while Slovenia has promised rifles, ammunition and helmets.

Italy has also announced that it will send military equipment but has not disclosed details yet of what this may entail.

And of course, Britain and the United States are sending massive amounts of weapons on a daily basis.


Israeli drones are every bit and more effective than those few Turkish drones that are shooting the heck out of Russian conveys
A couple of dozen Israeli drones could have wreaked utter havoc on the sad-sack Russian armoured brigades which were left exposed and vulnerable because of poor tactics, logistics and lack of air cover by a failing Russian air force.

A couple of Iron Dome batteries could not stop the coming onslaught to Kiev, but they could have shot down hundreds of missiles fired by the Russians, saving countless lives and frustrating the Russian attack.

At any rate, it turns out that Israel's strategy of appeasing the Russian bear was and is 100% wrong, as the vaunted and feared Russian military turns out to be a Potemkin Village, with lots of show upfront and nothing behind the facade, like a Hollywood western movie set.

Military analysts are stunned at Russia's inept military and lack of operational capabilities. NATO, Israel and other western countries have vastly over-estimated Russia's military might.

It turns out the Russian military is hobbled by corruption, poor training, low morale, faulty equipment and logistical ineptness. And while Russia has some modern equipment, its military is unable to use it effectively and has effectively lost the Ukraine war to an inferior but determined foe.
In today's battlefield, quantity doesn't guarantee success and a 1000 tanks and armoured vehicles  costing billions can be easily defeated by a infantry based missile defence costing a fraction of the cost.
This is what is happening in the Ukraine, where a well-armed defensive force with modern western weapons is making mincemeat out of Russian armour.

And so the Russians are reduced to destroying what they cannot conquer, employing barbaric siege warfare on civilian population that is banned under modern rules of engagement. Their current military doctrine dates back to the era of the Hellenic period of the catapult, hardly something to fear for a modern military.
Against any western foe, NATO or Israel, the Russian conventional military would be wiped out.

And for Israel, it is now clear that the feared Russian bogeyman in Syria is a paper tiger..

Russia should be warned to no longer threaten Israeli operations lest their force be directly confronted and defeated.
Assad should be sent the message that he cannot count on Russian protection anymore and his continued stewardship of Syria is based on Israeli permission.
Israel can easily wipe out Russian defences and air elements and with no Russian reinforcements available, the Russian expeditionary force in Syria is a beached whale.
Let us remember that Israel too is nuclear power so that possible threat is unrealistic.
Such is the new reality of Russian weakness and I promise you that conversations and discussions are being held at the highest military levels in Israel.

At any rate, back to Ukraine...

I know that some of you are saying that Ukraine is a corrupt fascist country with deep ties to Nazism that doesn't deserve western support.

But times change, just as America is a reformed slave nation, Ukraine has worked hard to adopt western ideals after opting for Europe instead of Russia. Embracing western ideology Ukraine has made great strides in getting rid of rampant antisemitism and corruption.

It is the only European nation to have an elected Jewish president so there's that.

At any rate, I'll repeat my main point that Israel is acting shamefully in not supporting Ukraine militarily.

I'm sure that won't be a popular position among faithful readers.