Ukrainian chief rabbi compares Israel-Hamas war to Russia-Ukraine war

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Israel and Ukraine were both fighting an evil that stood behind both the Russia-Ukraine War and the Israel-Hamas War, Ukrainian chief rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman told The Jerusalem Post at the Yael Foundation Conference on Jewish education in Paphos on Wednesday.

“The same evil stands behind both wars,” said Azman, explaining that there was a new “axis of evil” like that of the World War II Axis power.

Azman listed Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Syria as members of this alliance. He noted how Iran provides other munitions to Russia for use against Ukraine and that Hezbollah used Russian-made Grad, Katyusha, and Kornet weapon systems to attack northern Israel.

To the Chabad rabbi, it was notable that the date of Hamas’s pogrom in southern Israel was also Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthday.

“Israel and Ukraine need more connections” and learn strategies and tactics from one another, said Azman.

Israelis protest on behalf of Ukraine outside the Knesset, February 28, 2022. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Ahead of the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, Azman said that the war had continued to be difficult after the initial miracle of pushing back the Kremlin at the beginning of the war — but there was nothing to be done, Ukraine had no choice but to continue fighting.

“Ukraine is defending the free world against barbarians,” said Azman

Azman highlighted how during Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin, the Russian leader claimed that Poland had antagonized Nazi Germany, thereby excusing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s aggression.

“They say that they are antifascist but act like fascists,” said Azman.

The bombing of Ukrainian cities continued non-stop, and hundreds continued to die on the eastern front, according to the rabbi, though it was not a topic he believed was explored enough in Israeli newspapers.

There are still Ukrainian Jews who remain

“There are still many Ukrainian Jews in the country,” said Azman, “patriots,” old people who had spent their entire lives in Ukraine and didn’t want to leave, or those who couldn’t because of the mandatory draft. “There are also those that have returned.”

He continued, “There are Jews serving in the army, there are those that fell in battle, that were injured,” and that his community did what they could to support them.

Azman could not give any figures, but he said that there were still Israelis serving in the Ukrainian army but that many returned to fight for Israel in the wake of the October 7 massacre. He had come to Israel himself recently and visited IDF soldiers on the Gaza and Lebanon borders. He said that he blessed the soldiers and prayed for their victory.

True victory against the enemies of the Jewish people, Azman said, came through education. The importance of such education is why the rabbi had traveled for 27 hours to attend the Yael Foundation Conference, where he gave a speech on the importance of educating Jewish children at Tuesday night’s Gala.

Yael had gathered Jewish educators from across the world to help teach and advise on best practices and pedagogies, and Azman said that he was one of the few people that had seen the fruits of the organization group from the initial planting of the seeds. His son Rav Shmuel Azman was chairman of the Yael Foundation and continues to be involved in its activities. The family is close with co-founders and philanthropists Uri and Yael Poliavich.

Azman reminded the Post that the Jewish holiday of Purim was approaching in March and that to help bring about the miracle that saw the reversal of the genocide of Jews at the hands of Haman, Mordechai had gathered thousands of Jewish children for Torah lessons and prayer for mercy. The merit of this education secured the future of the Jewish people.

Like Haman, Azman said that the Nazis and Hamas wanted to kill all Jews and that teaching children about their heritage would help secure the future of the Jewish people against those that would seek them harm.

“This is our victory — education on Jewish tradition and history,” said Azman.

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