In the face of the external aggression, the chances of survival of both Ukraine and Israel directly depend on unity within the country. This opinion has been shared by the President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Lozhkin.
Lozhkin noted that it was the first time he attended the solemn meeting of the Knesset, where the newly elected deputies of the 22nd convocation of the Israeli parliament took the oath of office. The central theme of the speeches of both the President Reuven Rivlin and the Knesset Speaker Julius Edelstein was the national unity.
“This topic is especially relevant for Israel today — just half a year ago, for the first time in the history of the state, the parliament failed to form a coalition in the allotted time. The Knesset was dissolved, new elections were held. After announcement of their results, the Israelis began jokingly preparing for the third elections during one year. However, it may not be a joke — the votes were divided between the main contenders almost evenly, but none of them, according to the preliminary estimates, will be able to form a coalition without the other. Last time they were unable to reach a compromise. We will find out very soon if they manage to do it this time,” he noted.
Lozhkin emphasized that when the Jews fought against an external enemy, they were able to crush empires. But as soon as a civil war between the Jews themselves began, everything collapsed like a house of cards.
“This topic is familiar not only to the Israelis. The history of Ukraine is full of similar examples: from the Kyivan Rus to the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR). It is a great challenge to solve the problem of lack of national unity, especially in the presence of the external aggression. Both Israel and Ukraine will have to do their best to achieve it, as the chances of survival of our states directly depend on how united we are,” emphasized the JCU President.
It has been earlier reported that on 29 September, a March was held in Kyiv in memory of the Jews who were executed in Babi Yar in 1941. The President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, Boris Lozhkin, stated that more than half a thousand people had taken part in the March.