Ukraine’s Contentious Relationship with Israel: UN Votes, Nazi Legacy, and the Proliferation of Anti-Semitism

Ukraine’s Contentious Relationship with Israel: UN Votes, Nazi Legacy, and the Proliferation of Anti-Semitism

By: Fern Sidman

Ukraine’s relationship with Israel and its Jewish community has been fraught with complexities, shaped by geopolitical considerations, historical tensions, and controversial domestic policies. While Ukraine and Israel have cooperated on various issues, significant points of contention remain, particularly in Ukraine’s voting record at the United Nations, its glorification of Nazi war criminals, and its inconsistent response to the rise of anti-Semitism within its borders.

Ukraine’s Voting Record on Israel at the United Nations

For years, Ukraine has consistently supported resolutions critical of Israel at the United Nations, aligning itself with broader European and UN General Assembly trends that often single out the Jewish state for condemnation. According to data from UN Watch, between 2015 and the present, Ukraine voted against Israel in approximately 75% of relevant resolutions, abstained in 25%, and did not vote in favor of Israel in any instance.

This trend has not gone unnoticed by Israeli officials. In 2023, Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, highlighted that Ukraine supported anti-Israel resolutions at the UN “in 90% of cases,” raising concerns that such a stance could negatively impact bilateral relations. Despite Ukraine’s need for diplomatic and military support from Israel, particularly following Russia’s 2022 invasion, its consistent voting record against Israel has strained ties between the two countries.

Glorification of Nazi Collaborators and Protection of War Criminals

One of the most contentious aspects of Ukraine’s historical narrative is its rehabilitation and glorification of figures linked to Nazi war crimes. While Ukraine suffered immensely under both Soviet and Nazi occupations, some Ukrainian nationalist groups collaborated with Nazi forces, seeing them as liberators from Soviet rule. These groups, particularly the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and its military wing, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), were responsible for atrocities against Jews and Poles during World War II.

In recent years, Ukraine has faced criticism for its state-sponsored rehabilitation of such figures. Streets, stadiums, and public squares have been named after Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych—leaders of the OUN who played roles in ethnic massacres and pogroms during the war. Bandera’s followers were complicit in the 1941 Lviv pogroms, in which thousands of Jews were murdered, and Shukhevych’s UPA was responsible for the mass killing of Jewish and Polish civilians.

Particularly alarming has been the annual marches in honor of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician), a Ukrainian unit that served under Nazi command. These marches, held in cities such as Kyiv and Lviv, celebrate a division that pledged loyalty to Adolf Hitler and engaged in war crimes. Jewish organizations and international human rights groups have condemned these commemorations as historical revisionism and a dangerous glorification of Nazi collaborators.

Despite international pressure, Ukraine has done little to curtail these events. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, himself of Jewish heritage, has condemned the glorification of Nazi-linked figures in general terms but has not taken significant legal or political action to curb these nationalist commemorations. The continued state-sponsored recognition of these figures remains a serious point of contention, particularly for Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

Ukraine’s Struggles with Contemporary Anti-Semitism

While Ukraine has taken some legislative steps to combat anti-Semitism, efforts to address the problem remain inconsistent. In 2021, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a bill defining anti-Semitism and establishing penalties for offenses related to it. The legislation officially recognized anti-Semitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which is expressed as hatred towards them,” and allowed victims to claim compensation for damages resulting from anti-Semitic acts.

However, despite these legal measures, anti-Semitic incidents continue to occur at concerning levels. Reports indicate that in 2020, there were 49 recorded anti-Semitic acts in Ukraine, including vandalism, public displays of anti-Semitic symbols, and hate speech. Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust memorials have repeatedly been desecrated, with little action taken against the perpetrators. Some Ukrainian officials and public figures have also made inflammatory remarks minimizing the Holocaust or downplaying Ukraine’s role in historical anti-Jewish violence.

Ukraine has made efforts to preserve the memory of Jewish communities lost in the Holocaust, such as commemorating Babyn Yar, where nearly 34,000 Jews were massacred in 1941. However, these efforts have often been marred by political disputes and a lack of sustained commitment. For instance, the Babyn Yar memorial project has faced opposition from Ukrainian nationalists who seek to downplay Ukrainian complicity in the massacre.

Furthermore, there is a worrying trend of Holocaust distortion in Ukrainian society. Some nationalist groups attempt to equate Soviet and Nazi crimes, arguing that Ukraine was merely a victim caught between two totalitarian regimes. This narrative, while not unique to Ukraine, often serves to whitewash the actions of Ukrainian collaborators who actively participated in the extermination of Jews.

Ukraine’s relationship with Israel is deeply complicated by its UN voting record, its problematic historical commemorations, and its inconsistent approach to combating anti-Semitism. While Ukraine has sought closer ties with Israel, particularly in the wake of the Russian invasion, its continued diplomatic alignment with anti-Israel forces at the UN and its glorification of Nazi collaborators create significant tensions.

Ukraine’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism remain insufficient in light of its historical revisionism and the continued presence of nationalist factions that celebrate individuals with well-documented ties to Nazi war crimes. While Ukraine has taken some steps to honor the memory of Jewish Holocaust victims, its failure to fully confront its past and its tolerance of far-right extremism remain major concerns for Israel and the global Jewish community.