Israel, Which Has Ignored Ukraine... Could It Become a Variable in Next Month's General Election?

Netanyahu "Putin Must Reconsider Ukraine War"
Will Israel Start Supporting Ukraine with Weapons?

Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo by AFP)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the Israeli opposition and a leading candidate for the next prime minister, publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and called for an end to the war. Attention is focused on whether the election scheduled for the 1st of next month will lead to a change in Israel's stance, which has remained silent on the Ukraine crisis.

On the 23rd (local time), Netanyahu said in an interview with USA Today, "President Putin's decision to engage in the war in Ukraine is based on his vision to rebuild Russian territory," adding, "I hope he reconsiders that vision." He emphasized, "We sympathize with the situation in Ukraine," and "This is an unquestionable issue, and I am no different."

The Israeli government has condemned the war in Ukraine but has not joined Western sanctions against Russia. Due to military interests with Russia, such as the Russian air force stationed in Syria, Israel has avoided direct references to President Putin to avoid provoking him. This diplomatic balancing act between Russia and the West has led to ignoring requests for defensive weapon support for Ukraine.

There is also speculation that under Netanyahu's administration, Israel is likely to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine to counter Iranian-made drones. Israel, a representative pro-American country in the Middle East, has been highly wary of the military expansion of its adversary, Iran.

Netanyahu stated that if he comes to power through the election scheduled for the 1st of next month, he will revisit the issue of Israel supplying weapons to Ukraine.

He said, "I am aware that the Israeli government is being criticized for not supplying weapons to Ukraine," and added, "If I take office, the issue (of weapon supply) will be raised again."

Israel possesses the 'Iron Beam' air defense weapon system, which intercepts Iranian-made suicide drones, missiles, and rocket launchers. After it was confirmed that a large number of Iranian-made suicide drones were deployed in Russia's attack on Ukraine, requests for weapon support to Ukraine surged, but the Israeli government has maintained its existing stance.

He also said, "Immediately after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, I was asked to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, but I left it to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. If I become prime minister, I may take on the mediation role in the war again."

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who is aiming to return to power in the upcoming election next month, previously expressed support for the United States' demand to restore sanctions on Iran at the United Nations Security Council in August. Bloomberg News reported that the Likud party, led by Netanyahu, is leading in polls ahead of the election on the 1st of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.