Moral Imperative

It was heartening news to see Israel was one of 141 nations who voted in the UN General Assembly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The vote was important because it put a moral imperative to oppose extreme nationalism and the use of force above national self-interest. Israel, understandably, wants allies in confronting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Russia would have been a valuable partner in this regard; it may well be Bennett had hoped to broker a deal when he visited Putin last Shabbat. Now Israel has declared its hand and must stand by its decision to distance itself from Russian aggression.

The refugees,  fleeing a war-torn Ukraine,  have been given a warm welcome in Poland. It is important the EU and NATO support the efforts of the Poles to give sanctuary to displaced Ukrainians. We have seen a callous lack of help being given to Greece and Italy, in particular, in providing shelter to migrants crossing from Africa. It is now time for the EU to give financial aid to Poland and any other country that has taken large numbers of Ukrainians.  It is no longer acceptable to adopt a NIMBY approach to humanitarian disasters.