Israel-Ukraine row deepens over Tel Aviv’s fears to supply Kiev with weapons

Ukraine has lashed out at the Israeli regime for its refusal to supply weapons to Kiev over fears that they may fall into the wrong hands, accusing Tel Aviv of forging “close cooperation” with Moscow.

“The current Israeli government has chosen the path of close cooperation with the Russian Federation,” Ukraine’s ambassador to the Israeli regime, Yevgeni Kornichuk, wrote in a statement on Sunday, citing “almost complete lack of Israeli humanitarian support to Ukraine.”

“This is evidenced by a series of rather controversial events that occurred in the first half of 2023,” the statement added, pointing to a number of events, including a “futile visit by an Israeli foreign minister to Ukraine in February of this year,” and a series of interviews by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Ukrainian envoy was referring to Netanyahu’s recent interview with the regime’s Jerusalem Post daily, in which he insisted that Tel Aviv was not going to supply weapons to Kiev out of fears that they will fall into the hands of Iran and be used against the occupying regime.

The Israeli premier further pointed out during the interview that the regime was already seeing Western anti-tank weapons, which were originally supplied to Kiev, near its borders.

The Ukrainian ambassador, however, ridiculed and dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “completely fictitious and speculative allegations,” saying, “As their primary purpose, all the relevant statements made by the Israeli prime minister have always been aimed at justifying Israel's complete inaction in providing defensive assistance to Ukraine over the past year and a half.”

“The Israeli leadership, hiding behind the demagogy of its neutrality (although it is no longer hiding it at all), is actively building relations with the Russian Federation,” Kornichuk added in his official statement.

“In reality, on the ground, the so-called neutrality of the Israeli government is considered to be a clear pro-Russian position… We call on the Israeli government to change its position and support Ukraine with defensive means, to support freedom and a democratic world order.”

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Israeli FM summons Ukraine's envoy, reiterates support for Ukraine

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen declared during a press briefing on Sunday that Kornichuk will be summoned to the regime’s foreign ministry to be officially reprimanded for his public condemnation of Tel Aviv’s ties with Moscow.

Denouncing the Ukrainian ambassador’s "harsh" remarks, Cohen countered, "Despite the complexity with Russia, Israel stood with Ukraine from the beginning of the war until today, publicly supported its territorial integrity and its sovereignty, and voted to condemn Russia in international forums."

"Israel sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine in an unprecedented manner," Cohen insisted, noting that this year’s sum would surpass even last year’s total of NIS 80 million and pointing out that the missile warning system Israel was currently "adapting" to Kiev would ultimately save Ukrainian lives. 

Russia warns Israel its arms to Ukraine would be ‘legitimate targets’

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has said he was considering military assistance to Ukraine.

Since the start of 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly demanded from the Israeli regime to provide it with weapons, including air defense systems, but Tel Aviv has consistently rejected all requests, saying that in the interests of its national security, it would limit its assistance to Kiev to humanitarian aid and non-lethal equipment.

Further reacting to the accusations of Kiev's ambassador, Cohen added: "I’m not going to stoop to this discourse. I have announced that we support Ukraine's sovereignty and [territorial] integrity. We have voted [in support of Kiev] at the UN, [Israeli] soldiers have met with Ukrainian soldiers, and we have provided humanitarian aid. 

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