On Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Israeli government on the subject of the Russian invasion of his country, and Israel’s response.
During the speech, Zelensky attempted to compare the plight of the Ukrainian population under Russian attack to the persecution of Jewish communities during World War II under Nazi Germany. He discussed the military tactics and rhetoric used by both Putin’s Russia and Hitler’s Germany, such as discussing a “final solution” alongside the “Ukrainian issue.”
Finally, Zelensky urged Israel to share its notorious “Iron Dome” technology to help defend against Russian missile strikes.
Below is a part of the official Ukrainian Embassy translation of his speech:
Dear Mr. Speaker, members of the Knesset.
Dear Prime Minister Bennett, thank you very much for your support.
Dear members of the Government of the State of Israel, all attendees, guests, people of Israel!
The Ukrainian and Jewish communities have always been and, I am sure, will be very intertwined, very close. They will always live side by side. And they will feel both joy and pain together.
That is why I want to remind you of the words of a great woman from Kyiv, whom you know very well. The words of Golda Meir. They are very famous, everyone has heard of them. Apparently, every Jew. Many, many Ukrainians as well. And certainly no less, Russians: “We intend to remain alive. Our neighbors want to see us dead. This is not a question that leaves much room for compromise.”
I don’t need to convince you how intertwined our stories are. Stories of Ukrainians and Jews. In the past, and now, in this terrible time. We are in different countries and in completely different conditions. But the threat is the same: for both us and you – the total destruction of the people, state, culture. And even of the names: Ukraine, Israel.
I want you to feel it all. I want you to think about this date. About February 24. About the beginning of this invasion. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. February 24 – this day has twice gone down in history. And both times – as a tragedy. A tragedy for Ukrainians, for Jews, for Europe, for the world.
On February 24, 1920, the National Socialist Workers’ Party of Germany (NSDAP) was founded. A party that took millions of lives. Destroyed entire countries. Tried to kill nations.
102 years later, on February 24, a criminal order was issued to launch a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The invasion, which has claimed thousands of lives, has left millions homeless. Made them exiles. On their land and in neighboring countries. In Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States and dozens of different countries.
Our people are now scattered around the world. They are looking for security. They are looking for a way to stay in peace. As you once searched.
This Russian invasion of Ukraine is not just a military operation, as Moscow claims. This is a large-scale and treacherous war aimed at destroying our people. Destroying our children, our families. Our state. Our cities. Our communities. Our culture. And everything that makes Ukrainians Ukrainians. Everything that Russian troops are now destroying. Deliberately. In front of the whole world.
That is why I have the right to this parallel and to this comparison. Our history and your history. Our war for our survival and World War II.
This is an excerpt from The Daily Wire.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.