Alexandre Antonov
RTMon, 19 Aug 2019 12:07 UTC
© Reuters/Valentyn OgirenkoIsraeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Grandfathering a slogan of past-era nationalists who took part in ethnic massacres
makes for awkward moments when you have to use the slogan to greet a foreign leader of said ethnicity during an official visit.Take Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing visit to Ukraine. The Israeli prime minister was greeted by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a lot of decorum. There were red carpets, flags, ceremonious signing of important documents, and a small military parade to treat the former Israeli commando.
And of course Zelenskiy used the official greeting, which Ukraine adopted last year,
"Glory to Ukraine," to which his loyal troops gave the regulation response, "Glory to heroes." The exchange is new for the Ukrainian military, but relatively old in itself.
Originating in the early 20th century circles of nationalists who wanted to carve up parts of Imperial Russia and Poland and create an independent Ukraine, it saw its heyday as the call of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and its militant wing Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). They pursued their vision of a nation state through allying with the Nazis and exterminating Poles and Jews.
The very same words Netanyahu heard on Monday, likely sounded over the killing fields of Baby Yar, a place that is on his Ukrainian trip program.
Of course Kiev today approaches every historical figure or organization with an "independent Ukraine" agenda, wielding a magnifying glass in one hand and a big bucket of white paint in the other. As long as the mass-murdering Nazi collaborators were not as bad as the damned Moskal occupants, their slogan is perfectly fine today. All is fair in building national identity, right?
About the Author:
Alexandre Antonov is a journalist based in Moscow.
Comment: More about this contentious visit from
RT 19/8/2019: Sara Netanyahu's row with pilot mars start of Israeli PM's visit Ukraine
The wife of the Israeli prime minister reportedly became enraged at a pilot who took her and her husband to Ukraine this weekend, and may have even taken her annoyance out on their hosts in Kiev.
Sara Netanyahu apparently tried to make her way to the cockpit of the plane, but her own security detail is said to have stopped her. Israel's Channel 12 claimed that she was offended after not hearing the captain of the El Al flight welcome her on board. While she was not allowed into the cockpit to express her anger, she seems to have got some satisfaction later, when the captain welcomed the VIP passengers again, this time referring to Mrs Netanyahu by name.
The prime minister's office described the report as "distorted," but wouldn't deny it in its entirety. "There was a misunderstanding which was immediately clarified and the flight went according to plan. The story about the security guards, as well, is a total lie," a statement from the office said. "It is another attempt to divert attention from the important international visit that the prime minister carried out."
The El Al airline simply said they "were pleased to host the prime minister and Mrs Netanyahu on our flight to Ukraine," without elaborating about what happened during the flight.
Upon arrival in Kiev, the Netanyahus were welcomed by the city mayor and his delegation, which included young women dressed in traditional Ukrainian folk dresses. They offered the guests bread and salt in a gesture of hospitality.
While the prime minister ate his piece of bread, his wife wouldn't take a bite, and seems to have dropped her piece on the ground, according to footage from the airport. Whether this apparent disdain for her Ukrainian hosts should be considered a sign of Sara Netanyahu's irritation at that moment is up for interpretation.
From
Sputnik 18/8/2019: Netanyahu promises military operation in Gaza 'if necessary'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Tel Aviv will undertake a massive military campaign in Gaza Strip, if forced to, The Times of Israel reported Sunday. "We will embark on a wide campaign, if necessary," he told reporters before departing for Ukraine. "My objective is to maintain security and quiet, and we are taking all the necessary actions to this end."
He said he is aware of an opinion that upcoming September election considerations hold him back from undertaking military attacks in Gaza, but claimed that this is not true.
"This is not correct," Netanyahu said, according to The Jerusalem Post. "Everyone who knows me knows that my considerations are to the point, genuine, and that I act in full coordination with the security forces with firmness and the necessary consideration."
He asserted that necessary measures will be taken regardless of the political climate. "If it is required, we will embark on a large campaign, with considerations to the elections — with elections or without elections," he said.
His comments come in the wake of a rocket attack originating from Gaza on Saturday night, with one missile landing in the town of Sderot, located near the border with the Gaza Strip. The missile caused damage, but no injuries, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz dismissed the option of a ground invasion, saying that "what happened yesterday in Sderot will not be left without a response. We are maintaining a policy of not initiating a wide-scale operation but keeping the deterrence."
The position was criticized by the Blue and White party leader and former IDF chief of staff, Benny Gantz, who claimed on Sunday that "the deterrence hasn't been eroded, it's been erased," The Jerusalem Post report says.
Comment: More about this contentious visit from RT 19/8/2019: Sara Netanyahu's row with pilot mars start of Israeli PM's visit Ukraine
From Sputnik 18/8/2019: Netanyahu promises military operation in Gaza 'if necessary'