Answering Israel’s Ukraine Critics

Like many Israelis, I wasn’t very happy with my government’s initial response to the war in Ukraine. Since then, the policies have improved, but criticism of how Israel has responded to Russia’s invasion has only intensified, while becoming progressively more untethered from the facts. Consequently, it’s worth taking a closer look at the substance of this criticism and its merits—if any.

To take one glaring example, consider the outrage over Israel’s refusal to give Ukraine its defensive anti-missile system, Iron Dome. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has raised the subject repeatedly, most recently in his speech to the Knesset on March 20. “Everyone in Israel knows that your missile defense is the best,” he pleaded. “You can definitely help us protect our lives.” Members of the American Congress have also raised the issue. Representative Adam Kinzinger, for instance, said that Washington should pressure Israel to provide the system, adding, “Israel’s reaction to Ukraine will have bearing on future aid from the U.S. to Israel. Pay it forward.”

As many senior Israeli defense officials have pointed out, Iron Dome would actually be of little help, for two reasons. First, it was designed specifically for Israel’s needs—protecting a small territory against relatively unsophisticated missiles fired from comparatively close range. It is not designed to protect a vast expanse of land against high-tech missiles fired from far away, which is what Ukraine needs. Second, it’s difficult to use, and those operating it would need about a year of training. Consequently, it would be useless unless Israel also sent soldiers to operate it on the battlefield—something no country has been willing to do.