Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday (March 20) addressed Isreali parliament and urged the Jewish nation to abandon neutrality and support Ukraine which is being invaded by Russia.
Zelensky, who himself is Jewish, has already addressed legislatures of the US, the UK and Germany.
In remarks that at several points compared Russian aggression to the Holocaust, Zelensky said that “Ukraine made the choice to save Jews 80 years ago.”
“Now it’s time for Israel to make its choice.”
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has walked a careful diplomatic line since Russia launched its invasion on February 24.
Stressing Israel’s strong ties to Moscow and Kyiv, Bennett has sought to preserve delicate security cooperation with Russia, which has troops in Syria, across Israel’s northern border.
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Bennett has held regular phone calls with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a three-hour meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on March 5.
While Ukrainian officials have voiced appreciation for Bennett’s mediation efforts, Zelensky on Sunday implied that this too had proven to be a misstep.
“We can mediate between states but not between good and evil,” the Ukrainian leader said.
(With inputs from agencies)
