Ukraine has supported Israel throughout the latest conflict, upsetting Palestinians as war ravages Gaza.
Names marked with an asterisk* have been changed to protect identities.
When Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Amer Aroggi, a 30-year-old journalist based in the Gaza Strip, felt compelled to report on the European conflict.
Having lived through the Israeli occupation, he felt he could relate to the plight of the Ukrainians.
The move was seamless, especially because his older brother had lived in Ukraine for many years. Aroggi quickly secured a new role for himself as a correspondent for a prominent news channel.
Less than two years later, war broke out again in his homeland with the latest escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
To some observers, there were parallels between Russia and Israel and Ukraine and the Palestinians.
But in a swift and unequivocal response to the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy threw his support behind Israel, like much of the Ukrainian population, and almost all Western leaders.
“I saw a double standard. … The world helped the Ukrainians, and no one helped us. No one even helped me evacuate my mother and sister out of Gaza,” Aroggi told media.
He spends his days glued to the TV, fearing for his family in Gaza.
“My mother asks me, ‘Are you OK? Is there a Russian bombing?’ I say to her, ‘Are you OK? Is there an Israeli bombing?’”
The latest escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict began on October 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,139 people and triggering a violent response.
A shift in opinion?
At this point in the war, at least 24,762 Palestinians had been reported killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. While Israel has said it aims to wipe out Hamas, which governs the besieged enclave, the toll on civilians and its conduct have been heavily criticised.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska said on October 7 that Ukrainians understand and “share the pain” of the Israeli people as billboards across Kyiv lit up the capital with Israeli flags.
The prevailing narrative in the national media favours Israel and influences public sentiment, he said.
Hashem also suffered personally. He said he received threats and discriminatory messages full of hate from individuals who learned he was from Gaza but residing in Ukraine. Even so, he plans to stay in Ukraine.
Now more than three months into the Middle East war, Hashem and Aroggi said they have witnessed some changes in public opinion.
The constant stream of images of death and destruction in Gaza has had an impact, leading some Ukrainians to start openly criticising their government’s position.
In November, more than 300 Ukrainian scholars, activists and artists expressed their solidarity with Palestinians in an open letter.
The letter emphasised the right of Palestinians to self-determination and resistance against Israel’s occupation, drawing parallels to Ukrainians resisting the Russian invasion.
Hashem said some Ukrainians came to view the “Israeli narrative” as both “false and unfair” and he “began to feel moral support” for himself and the Palestinian people.
Mounting pressure from pro-Palestinian segments of society eventually forced a gradual shift in the Ukrainian government’s position, he believes.
He pointed to Ukraine’s backing of a UN resolution on November 12, urging the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to provide an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.
However, Ukraine chose to abstain from voting on a recent resolution advocating for a humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
Yuliia Kishchuk, a researcher who signed the open letter, told media that Israel enjoys significant support from Ukrainian political liberals who view Israel as a democratic and progressive nation.
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