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Home Posts From Russia – With Hate?

From Russia – With Hate?
Arkady Mil-Man
16 October, 2023
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In contrast with the condemnation and solidarity that characterize the West's position, the reactions sounded in the public and the media in Russia can be described in three words: schadenfreude, antisemitism, hatred. Russia's official position reflects all the elements of the hostile Soviet policy toward Israel, including a direct comparison between the activities of the IDF and the actions of the Nazi army.

The official position of Putin and the Russian Foreign Ministry leaves no doubt that Russia stands by Hamas. Since October 7, the Russian leadership has not uttered a single word of condemnation of the massacre committed by Hamas, and has taken pains to mention the legitimate rights of the Palestinians that have not been fulfilled. In line with his increasing anti-Western rhetoric since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Putin blamed the United States for what was happening and for the failure to establish a Palestinian state. Neither he nor a representative on his behalf has called the Prime Minister of Israel to express solidarity. On the other hand, the Russian leadership contacted Hamas immediately after the attack and received an update on developments. According to Hamas representative Ali Baraka, in an interview with the Russian propaganda channel RT, which is directly connected to the Kremlin, Russia supports Hamas politically and “sympathizes with us."

Six days after the massacre, President Putin decided in offhanded fashion to mention Israel's right to self-defense, saying that it had suffered an unprecedented attack. But immediately afterward, he compared the Israeli operation in Gaza to the Nazi army's siege of Leningrad, which is considered in cognitive terms in the USSR and Russia, and in the eyes of Putin himself, who lost his brother in this siege, to be the most terrible crime committed by Nazi Germany on the territory of Russia. Under the auspices of the Russian president, the narrative that compares the IDF to Nazi Germany has spread like wildfire and is echoed by all official media.

The Putinist Telegram channels were filled with an endless stream of despicable expressions of antisemitic schadenfreude. Messages such as “It’s a shame that so few people were killed”; “It’s a shame that we can't join in”; “Tie Israeli abductees to posts around Gaza and it will make it harder for the IDF to bomb you”; “There is no empathy or mercy for the Israelis who are fleeing the Gaza envelope cities” were rampantly across all the social media platforms.

But beyond its public positioning alongside Hamas, weighty questions arise regarding Russia's involvement in the October 7 events. Over the past year there were several visits by Hamas representatives to Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry officials meet with Hamas figures in Arab countries. Russia permitted Hamas to manufacture the AK-47 (Kalashnikov) assault rifle and appropriate ammunition. Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel's territory with Russian-made weapons and/or weapons produced under the Russian franchise in Iran. There are growing reports, which have not yet been verified, about the involvement of Russian elements in terrorist training.

A flare-up in our region serves the Russian interest in diverting the attention and resources of the United States from the war scene in Ukraine. In the wake of the tightening of military cooperation between Russia and Iran, Russian support for Hamas, and the increasing antisemitic trend in Russia, Israel must change its policy toward Moscow. The massacre in the Gaza Strip has revealed Russia's sympathetic attitude toward our enemies and its close ties with them. Russia and its leadership can no longer be trusted.

Topics: Russia, Swords of Iron War
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  • Research

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      • Israel and the Global Powers
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      • Yemen and the Houthi Movement
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