“We won’t tolerate Russia’s support for genocidal madmen and will help Ukraine to win once we have defeated our main enemies.” You need to be creative, so why not target Belarus if you want nukes?
Euromaidan Press spoke with Amir Weitmann of the Likud Party, the Israeli government’s liberal party, about the Middle East war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine was at war with Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The discussion covers the West’s behavior, Israel’s model of defense for Ukraine, whether Putin is going to press the button and what Jerusalem can now do to help Ukraine.
Watch the full interview on our video:
Both Ukraine and Israel are at war. Are we ultimately fighting the same enemies?
Amir: The coalition of evil is the same, it’s Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, with their proxies, allies, etc. Belarus in the case of Ukraine. Israel’s Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis and Shiite militias of Iraq.
It’s important that both in Ukraine as well as in Israel, the civilized world triumphs over the evil coalition which wants to return the world to the dark ages, dictatorships, violence and barbarism.
EP: You had a very passionate interview last year with RT, where you promised to pay for all the things Russia does, including Israel. Does that still stand?
Amir: I would say yes. Israel must first finish its own business. This is taking longer than expected. We will then have to find a solution that makes Russia pay. It doesn’t matter who is in charge in Israel at that time. It is impossible to tolerate terrorist attacks like those committed by HAMAS on 7 October 2023, when they massacred civilians because they were Jews.
We have demonstrated this in the last year. Next, we will tell anyone who sided with these genocidal madmen that they are going to pay. I don’t yet know how or when this will happen. It’s like an educational seminar. People from Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen understand that it is not a good thing to pick a fight with Israel, or to be an ally of murderers.
Does that include helping Ukraine as well?
Amir: I believe so. My understanding is that Israel is not helping at all. But not enough.
We’re at war again, so opening a second front is difficult. We didn’t launch a full-scale war against Lebanon until the situation in Gaza had been brought under control.
We are not yet fully in control of Lebanon, because we must first remove all Hezbollah infrastructure and bunkers from the border. Only then will the possibility of escalating the conflict in Lebanon exist. We haven’t yet responded properly to Iran, but these things will also happen.
It depends on the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine. It will be difficult for us if the war with Russia ends in the next few months or weeks. If Ukraine can hold its ground and the Western countries are responsible for ensuring that Ukraine has the necessary resources, Israel will assist Ukraine in some way against Russia.
I am certain that Israel will punish Russia regardless of what happens in Ukraine.
What is the best way to do this?
Amir: Some intel, perhaps. Or weapons. We have captured a large number of weapons from Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, many of which are Russian, Chinese and Iranian. Israel doesn’t really need them. I think it would be a good plan to ship some of them to Ukraine. We could probably do this soon.
We must punish and finish Russia, and we must also show Putin’s regime that aggression has a cost. I believe that the West has a collective duty to help Ukraine and Israel overcome their enemies.
Tell me why Israel rejects Western recommendations so often. How do you do it so well?
Amir: Israel is stuck. We will die if we listen only to the West. I say this with sadness, anxiety, and concern. The Western world is very weak. Europe is probably not ready to fight because of the traumas of WWI and WWII. Since WWII, the majority of wars, including the Yugoslav Civil War were not fought on Western soil.
They want to buy short-term stability at the cost of long-term peace. This is not the right approach, because being weak invites aggressive behavior from regimes such as Hitler’s or Putin’s. This attitude will lead to renewed aggression from both Russia and China.
You must be strong, and not only have a powerful army but also be willing use it to kill enemies. We have the technology and resources to be stronger than Russia. The Russian army is weak and irrelevant.
You must be willing to use existing resources to your advantage, even if it means causing massive casualties for the enemy or having to take casualties yourself. Ronald Reagan and US president said that 40 years ago, peace through strength.
EP: The West has often floated this idea of Israel’s security model for Ukraine. Would you recommend this to us?
Amir: Yes. In retrospect, I would like to tell Ukraine that it is too late, as it was something that should have been done many years ago. There is no alternative to universal conscription. Everyone goes into the army for 2-3 year. Personally, I don’t like this. I would rather have no armies at all, or professional armies like most Western countries. This is not possible when you face an enemy like Russia.
You should also spend a lot on your defense, and become a hub for technology, either by creating these technologies yourself, or buying them and replicating. It is also important to build a strong domestic and military industry, and be very careful with the soldiers. If Ukraine has suffered enormous losses, then we cannot be complacent.
Ukraine must also find other creative ways to eliminate Hezbollah, like Israel did when it conducted the beeper operations. The Kursk invasion, for example, was a great idea. You must also come up with other creative ways to hurt the Russians, and create victories. Victories motivate. You have to think outside of the box. We are forced to act because the West is so weak.
EP: How can Jerusalem, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities collaborate more?
Amir: It is a matter of political will. I think it’s there in Ukraine. Israel is less affected by this because we are fighting on seven fronts – Gaza, Jordania, Judea and Samaria (Lebanon), Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. I can understand why we’re trying to reduce the number of enemies.
Israel is afraid that if it gets too involved in Ukraine, Russia will help its enemies more aggressively. Although it may seem that Russia doesn’t have the bandwidth to do more, they are helping them much more. This information is also classified.
I think that it is important for Israel to do as much as possible under the circumstances to help Ukraine. It is important that we tell our enemies, such as Russia, that attacking us has a cost, and that helping those who attack us also has a cost.
If you help us, we will help you. This is the language they can understand.
Do you think that it will happen soon?
I think the time will come after this war is over. Although I do think it’s a mistake, to some extent. I think we need to find a solution.
EP: In your previous talk, you briefly touched on the Russian imperialistic aspirations. What do you think of them?
Amir: Putin held a ceremony years ago next to the statue of Catherine the Great. He wanted to send the message that Russia was back and we were recreating its Russian Empire.
Historially, Russia has been an imperialist nation. In the history of mankind, I believe that it is the largest land-based Empire. England or France were bigger, but they covered the entire planet. It’s a large country, whereas the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire before was 11 pieces of land. It’s a part of their mentality.
We all thought they would change at some point. But I was wrong. I think everyone is wrong. I think almost everyone was wrong. In an interview he gave in the early 90s, after the fall of Soviet Union, I believe former US President Richard Nixon said exactly that. It’s fascinating watching this 30 years later.
Only by paying a price so high that they feel it is not worth it can Russia change. They don’t even need the Donbass or Crimea. It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous. There is no justification in the world for a country to invade another. This is very simple. They should realize that if they continue their aggressive imperialistic policy, they will be destroyed.
This would also trigger changes in Russia, because I don’t believe that there is any genetic or cultural reason why Russians cannot be normal, democratic and civilized. I think it is possible. But Russian society is plagued by many problems. They must understand that if they continue with their current policies, they will suffer a lot.
EP: Some people in Western think that Putin would resort nukes. Would you agree?
Amir: No. This could happen in Iran. Not in Russia. Putin is not a Shiite terrorist. He’s a thug and a mafioso.
Russia does have a large arsenal of nuclear weapons, and the means to use these weapons. But they know the price. America, France, England, and other countries have nuclear weapons, and they can send them to St. Petersburg or Moscow.
Putin should also be personally warned that he would be killed if ever he dared to use such a thing. He will die along with his family, friends, and the entire regime. It is not difficult to find out where the cronies of Putin’s government live.
EP: We briefly discussed nuclear weapons and the Israeli defence model. Recently, President Zelenskyy visited Brussels and made it clear that there are two options for establishing peace in Ukraine: either NATO membership, or nukes. What do you think of nukes in Ukraine? Is it possible to have an Israeli defense model without nukes?
Amir: Good question. I think Ukraine should be incorporated into the European Union, and NATO. You cannot join these organizations if you have a territorial dispute. Idealistically, Ukraine would join both.
It’s a difficult question from a nuclear perspective. We would like to avoid nuclear proliferation, but on the other hand the Russians have deployed what appear to be tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. It might be a good plan to go and get them.
EP: How?
Amir: Find your way.
What do the Israelis do when they play EP?
Amir: Yes. Be creative. Grab them and bring them to Ukraine along with a few launchers.
EP: We will definitely consider that.
The interview has been edited to make it clearer.
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