By Logan Williams, Warrior Editorial Fellow
In two previous articles for a different publication, this author leveled criticism at the authenticity of the Israel-Russia relationship, and the ludicrous lengths that Israel had proven willing to go to preserve that relationship. In an article titled “Russia Stays Silent, Abandoning Israel in the Face of Hamas’ Brutal Attack on Israeli Civilians,” published on October 20th, 2023, the author noted Russia’s failure to rebuke the terrorists’ barbaric massacre of civilians, while Russia’s proxies within every region of the world reveled and rejoiced at the largest slaughter of the world’s Jewry since the Shoah. In a follow-up article, titled “Israel’s Friendship with Russia was Always a Farce,” published on November 10th, 2023, the author expressed outrage at Russia’s failure to prevent modern pogroms, such as the targeting of Jews at Makhachkala Airport, which occured shortly after the October 7th massacre.
This author objected to living in a “ a cold and dark world, where a people who were a historical victim of horrific genocide, can abandon another people to the possibility of an equal fate. All this in the name of appeasement and the short-term illusion of security.”
On March 2nd, 2024, in a major contravention of its early policy of avoiding any action which could feasibly offend Russia – due to Russia’s near-hegemonic grip upon the Middle East’s despots, which was bolstered by the United States’ myopic choice to withdraw from the region – Israel determined that it would provide early-warning systems to Ukraine, and likely, specialists or military advisors to assist with the integration of these early-warning systems.
Strictly speaking, early warning systems are not offensive weaponry, and thus, they do not indicate a reversal of Israel’s policy of refusing to send offensive equipment to Ukraine, which would be used to aid in war operations.
Rather, these early warning systems, most likely a derivative of Israel’s “Tzeva Adom (transl. Code Red)” system, detects incoming missiles or other airborne threats, and issues a warning via a prerecorded message over a loudspeaker and an app on citizens’ cellular devices. This system provides additional crucial seconds between missile detection and detonation on-target, allowing civilians to seek shelter.
The principal implication of Israel’s declared intent to provide Ukraine with these early warning systems, is a renewed sentiment of shared trauma, based upon the experience of two nations fighting for their very right to exist, against closely aligned enemies with a predilection for wanton, beastly violence and the abuse of civilians. Israel’s renewed vigilance in defense of its own survival has catalyzed the state to publicly recommit to the principle of territorial sovereignty, a principle for which its support had been called into question by the Israeli governing coalition’s reticence to support its Ukrainian brothers.
Perhaps more importantly, Israel’s failure to support Ukraine, and its attempts to maintain an increasingly absurd relationship with Russia (and thus, perpetuating an insult against its Western partners), had been a major source of strain upon the U.S.-Israeli relationship, a strain which will, henceforth, assuredly be removed. Furthermore, while Israel hasn’t the capacity to send offensive weapons to Ukraine at present, while continuing to wage its war against the terrorist elements in Gaza, it has committed to providing those weapons to Ukraine, should Russia not cease its aggression by the time that Israel concludes its defensive operation within the Gaza Strip. This is an unassailable indication of Israel’s support for the values which underpin the existing, liberal world order.
Logan Williams currently studies at the University of Connecticut. He is an International Affairs Researcher; Work Published in Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals, Such As: Geopolitics Magazine, Modern Diplomacy, Tufts University’s The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Democracy Paradox, Diario Las Américas, International Affairs Forum, Fair Observer, History Is Now Magazine, UNC at Chapel Hill’s American Diplomacy, The Center for Military Modernization’s Warrior Maven Magazine
