Kyiv: The time has come for Netanyahu to visit Ukraine

Israel should allow Ukraine to use its defensive weapons against Iran-made drones, Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said Tuesday.

“No country other than Israel has the capabilities Ukraine needs to defend itself,” he told Israeli reporters in a briefing. “This equipment will be used in Ukraine against Iranian weapons.”

Ukraine knows that it shares an enemy with Israel – Iran, and “we don’t understand why the government and Israeli politicians don’t understand this,” Yermak said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should “express his support for Ukraine,” he said, adding that he expects him to visit Ukraine.

Israel was “the most neutral among countries that have good relations with Ukraine,” Yermak said.

“As a person with a Jewish father, I cannot understand why Israel is not reacting,” he added.

Israel's response to Russia's invasion 

Israel condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine within a day of it happening and has voted with Ukraine consistently in the UN. In addition, Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv, as well as missile warning systems.

However, Ukraine has asked for military aid, which Israel has not provided in light of Russia’s continued military presence in Syria.

Asked if Israeli aid was really critical for Ukraine, Yermak said Israel should help “a friend in need.”

“We must stand together in wartime,” he said. “It is not enough to maintain the dialogue between the states; the heads of state must show support.”

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his “Jewish friends” say Zelensky “is not a Jew; he is a disgrace to the Jewish people.”

In response, Yermak said: “Unfortunately, we did not hear condemnations from the Israeli government and its senior figures... I expect Israel to respond. These insulting words were said by a man recognized as a dictator the world over.”

If Putin “harmed a Jewish president, it shows that he can harm other Jews,” he said. Yermak said the Russians regularly bomb Uman, the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev and a pilgrimage site for tens of thousands of Jews.

He likened Russia’s actions to those of the Nazis, saying their invasion of Ukraine “was unlike anything since World War II,” adding that Putin was like “a man who is responsible for killing many millions in World War II.”

“As long as there are regimes like Russia, no one is protected or immune from such disasters,” Yermak said. “If they decide they want to invade another territory, no one is safe.”