“If we don’t act, we won’t exist: what Israel is fighting for and what Ukraine is fighting for” – opinion

Ukraine and Israel are defending their right to exist, facing enemies who deny both nations the right to statehood. Analyst Vitaliy Portnikov explains why the world must force aggressors to respect the lives of others — read more on NAnews – Israel News.

The threat of physical extinction: from Auschwitz to the Holodomor

Ukrainian journalist and publicist Vitaliy Eduardovych Portnikov published a powerful column: “Let’s understand what Israel is fighting for and what Ukraine is fighting for.”

Vitaliy Eduardovych Portnikov (born May 14, 1967, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian journalist, writer and publicist, TV host, columnist for Radio Liberty and author of analytical articles in Ukrainian and Russian media. Member of the Ukrainian PEN Club. Winner of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine (2023).

He reminds us that Jews returned home only after 1900 years of Roman exile and the Holocaust, while Ukrainians always lived on their land but almost never had their own state. Today, both peoples are facing those who want to erase them from the map.

Historical roots: who and why denies Israel

Since the “Islamic Revolution” of 1979, Iran has consistently declared the destruction of Israel as its goal.

• Leaders of the Islamic Republic — from “conservatives” to “reformists” — call Israel a “Zionist entity.”
• In Iranian and pro-Iranian media, the word “Israel” is put in quotation marks or replaced with “Occupied Palestine.”
• Iran-backed groups — Hamas and Islamic Jihad — reinforce this rhetoric with rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

“Israel has no choice: either disrupt Tehran’s nuclear plans or cease to exist,” Portnikov emphasizes.

The West debates whether Jerusalem violated international law by striking Iran, but Portnikov insists: this is about national survival.

The Russian scenario: a “fictional Ukraine” and population filtering

putin calls Ukraine “an artificial project,” and his media report on the “liberation” of Ukrainian cities.

In occupied territories:

• Ukrainians are deported deep into Russia,
• they are intimidated through filtration,
• the Ukrainian language and culture are banned.

Just as Iran denies Israel, Russia seeks to erase Ukraine from the political and cultural map of Europe.

Exile vs Homeland: the strengths and weaknesses of two models

Jews learned to survive without a state, but the disappearance of Israel would make them vulnerable again.
Ukrainians are not a diaspora nation. For them, Kyiv is a real home, not a dream. Losing Ukraine would mean losing everything.

Both nations today face the threat of physical extinction if the aggressors succeed.

Other angles of the same war

International law or the right to life?

Portnikov concludes: international law is meaningless if it doesn’t protect the right of nations to exist.

Like Israel, Ukraine is forced to act preemptively — otherwise, peaceful cities will be destroyed.

Numbers we must never forget

• 6 million Jews — victims of the Holocaust,
• 4–5 million Ukrainians — victims of the Holodomor,
• Over 20,000 civilians killed in Ukraine since 2022,
• 1 nuclear bomb — Tehran’s threat to Tel Aviv.

A voice that must unite Kyiv and Jerusalem

At NAnews – Israel News, we emphasize: Israel and Ukraine are allies in the struggle for the right to live.

That’s why:

• The Holocaust and Holodomor teach us that aggressors cannot be “appeased”;
• Israel demonstrates a logic of preemption that Ukraine should learn from;
• Mutual support makes both countries stronger.

The ultimate dilemma: justify or stop?

“Cannibals don’t earn. They eat,” Portnikov concludes.

The world has a choice:

• force Russia and Iran to respect the lives of others,
• or keep bargaining while turning a blind eye to destruction.

In the second case — the disappearance of Ukraine and Israel becomes only a matter of time.

Why this article matters now

Amid Israel’s strikes on Iran and Russia’s ongoing aggression, the question has never been clearer.

This article is an attempt by NAnews – Israel News to explain why Ukrainians and Jews must act together.

The shared enemy — in Moscow and Tehran — leaves no room for neutrality.

If we don’t act — we won’t exist.