ALBAWABA - Israel’s prime minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to weigh Ukraine's request for a much-needed air defense systems as it battles to fend off Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The cautious Israeli approach appears related to the government's desire to maintain the upper hand on its northern border with Syria, whose airspace is largely controlled by the Russian military. Israel also wants the freedom of operation in the area to deprive Iranian proxies of infiltrating it.
MSNBC asks Bibi Netanyahu why Israel has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine. He warns that "weapons supplied in one battlefield" can often end up in other battlefields. No acknowledgment from anyone involved that the same logic could just as easily apply to US-provided weapons pic.twitter.com/dB1boIXufI
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) October 22, 2022
"The reasoning behind the decision appears to be Israel’s strategic need to maintain freedom of operations in Syria, as part of its efforts to prevent Iranian entrenchment on its doorstep," the Times of Israel said.
"To that end, Israel cooperates with the Russian military, which largely controls Syria’s airspace," it added.
Zelensky's comments to reporters underlined Ukraine's desperate quest for a system to defend its territory against Russian missile attacks. Moscow has launched its biggest barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities, which resulted in considerable damage to the infrastructure.
The Ukrainian president said he raised the matter with Netanyahu in a recent call following the Israeli premier's election victory. He said Netanyahu promised to look into the matter and get back to him. He did not say when the call was made.
Kyiv has repeatedly asked for the systems, but Israel has insistently refused to sell them to Ukraine.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz told EU ambassadors that Israel has no plans to send “offensive military equipment” to Ukraine.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 20, 2022
The statement came after Russia warned Israel that supplying Ukraine with weapons would severely damage diplomatic relations. pic.twitter.com/1IueOhTIAF
Before Israel’s general elections last month, Netanyahu pledged to consider supplying weapons to Ukraine, if he was elected prime minister. Netanyahu, who held the post previously, and his right-wing bloc won a majority of 64 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, securing an outright majority to form a new government.
During the nearly nine-month Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the U.S. and other Western nations have provided military assistance to Ukraine. Though Israel has supplied humanitarian aid and some non-lethal equipment, such as helmets and flak jackets, Ukrainian officials unsuccessfully pressed it for air defense weapons.
