Stop Comparing Ukraine to Israel

Why the War in Gaza and the War in Ukraine Are Nothing Alike

In recent months, we’ve seen a growing chorus of voices, particularly in Western media, comparing Israel’s war against Hamas with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. These comparisons are not only inaccurate but dangerously misleading. The situations differ in history, context, goals, and legitimacy. It’s time to stop equating these two wars. They are simply not the same.

Let’s start with the facts: Israel is a legitimate, sovereign nation, just like Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, countries that were created after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. In 1947, the UN proposed a two-state solution. 77% of the land was allocated to the Arabs, and 23% to the Jews. The Jews accepted. The Arabs went to war. Israel was reborn in 1948 and chose democracy, rule of law, and open society as its foundation.

Fast forward to October 7, 2023, a day that will live in infamy for Israelis. Over 1,200 civilians were brutally murdered, and more than 250 kidnapped by Hamas in a surprise invasion from Gaza. It was not just a terrorist attack. It was an act of war. No country on earth, not one, would allow such a massacre without a military response. And yet, Israel is the one being questioned.

This is not a war about territory. This is a war of self-defense, a war against jihadist terrorism that targets civilians. The war could end tomorrow, if Hamas would surrender, return the hostages, and disarm. But they refuse. Their goal is not peace, but Israel’s destruction. The Hamas Charter makes this crystal clear.

Now compare that to Ukraine and Russia. That war is about power, borders, and geopolitics. Two states, each with armies, leaders, and propaganda machines, are engaged in a devastating struggle. It is a classic 20th-century-style war over land and influence. Ukraine fights for sovereignty; Russia fights to reassert empire. While civilians suffer on both sides, it is still a conflict between two state actors.

Israel’s war is not like that. Israel does not seek to occupy Gaza, nor to eliminate the Palestinian people. It seeks to dismantle a terrorist regime embedded in civilian infrastructure, using its own people as human shields.

And let’s not forget the hypocrisy. When Ukraine was invaded, Israel sent humanitarian aid, medical teams, and accepted refugees. But Ukraine? It has never supported Israel at the UN. Not once. When Hamas launched rockets at Israeli cities, Ukraine remained silent or worse, critical. Yet, when Ukraine needed help, President Zelensky suddenly appeared in Jerusalem asking for the Iron Dome.

Israel, wisely, has been cautious about getting involved in Ukraine’s war. Its priority is and always must be the safety and security of its own citizens, not being dragged into global power games.

To equate Israel’s war with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is to misunderstand both conflicts. One is about terror and survival. The other is about power and dominance. One side targets civilians; the other defends them. Israel is not fighting for conquest. It is fighting for its very existence.

So no, this is not the same.
Stop comparing what cannot be compared.