- November 23, 2024
- 10:24 pm
- Ukraine
Every year on the fourth Saturday of November (in 2024 on November 23) Ukraine remembers Holodomor victims – one of the most terrible crimes of the communist Soviet regime.
Ukrainians in the twentieth century experienced three Holodomors: 1921-1923, 1932-1933 and the famine of 1946-1947. The largest famine was the 1932-1933 famine – that’s what they call it genocide of the Ukrainian people carried out by the Stalinist regime.
According to various estimates, from 3.5 to 10 million people died as a result of the famines.
Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky noted:
“Today, together with the people of Ukraine, we honor the memory of the victims of the Holodomor – the crime of the Stalinist regime, one of the most terrible tragedies of the 20th century.”
Despite several attempts, including in the Knesset, Israel never recognized the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. This issue causes heated debate and raises many questions for both the Ukrainian and international communities.
According to Law “On the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine”adopted on November 28, 2006, the famine of 1932-1933 is an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people, and its “public objection … is recognized as an outrage against the memory of millions of victims of the Holodomor, a humiliation of the dignity of the Ukrainian people and is unlawful.”
By the decision of the Kyiv Court of Appeal dated January 13, 2010, Soviet leaders – Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich, Pavel Postyshev, Stanislav Kosior, Vlas Chubar, Mendel Khataevichrecognized guilty of organizing the Holodomor.
To date 33 countries recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people, and also European Parliament, PACE, Roman Catholic Church, Constantinople Orthodox Church and others.
Now, more than 90 years after the tragedy, Russia continues to try to erase Ukraine from the world map, destroy the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language and history. In particular, as emphasized in the PACE resolution on the anniversary of the Holodomor, the current war is a new stage in the genocidal policy of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine.
According to tradition, on this day Ukrainians light a candle of memory in their homes in memory of those who died from artificial famine.
August 19, 2019 President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky appealed to the Israeli side with a call to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-33 as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people. The Head of State stated this following negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on an official visit to Ukraine.
“Ukraine and Israel have long-standing and close historical ties. Our peoples together survived all the tragedies of modern history – the Holodomor and the Holocaust, the Second World War, the totalitarian Soviet regime“- Zelensky emphasized.
Why is Putin's Kremlin afraid of the word “Holodomor”
The events taking place today in Ukraine are a new genocide of the Ukrainian people. The term “genocide”, which means “destruction of a people”, first appeared in 1944. Already in 1953, the mass extermination of Ukrainians by the Soviet regime was publicly called a “classic example of genocide.” The goal of the repressive policies of the Stalinist regime was to break the Ukrainian people, suppressing their resistance and struggle for independence and restoration of their own statehood.
90 years have passed, and another dictator from Russian soil organized a new genocide.
“Today no one doubts that Putin is on a par with Hitler and Stalin. Bombing maternity hospitals, wiping out cities and killing thousands of civilians, he hides behind lies about the 'defense of Ukraine from the Nazis.'
However, the memory of the Holodomor inspires Ukrainians to resist. The people who survived this tragedy cannot be defeated.
Russia consistently denies the fact of the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people, starting with protests against its international recognition and ending with the demonstrative destruction of monuments and the burning of the National Book of Memory of Holodomor Victims. This only emphasizes the historical line of disinformation and manipulation aimed at covering up Stalin’s crimes.
The Holodomor is a grave and cynical crime against humanity.
The tragedy of the Ukrainian people caused by Russia.
This is confirmed by documents and memories of eyewitnesses of the events. This is what Russia is doing now, torturing captured soldiers and civilians with hunger.
The famine of 1921-1923 arose due to the seizure of food by the Bolshevik government, drought and the consequences of the war. The exact number of deaths is unknown, but researchers put the figure at 500 thousand.
The Holodomor of 1932-1933 was a deliberately planned act of genocide aimed at destroying the Ukrainians: all food was taken from the people, resulting in the death of millions.
The famine of 1946–1947 was caused by the repressive policies of the Soviet government, inflated grain procurement plans, drought and the USSR's decision to export grain abroad.
History of Israel's position on the Holodomor issue
Israel, as a country created after the tragedy of the Holocaust and having experienced the deep pain of genocide, has always been sensitive to issues of mass tragedies. However, the Holodomor was never officially recognized as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Why did this happen? The answers lie in geopolitics and the peculiarities of domestic Israeli politics.
Many experts point out that the key factor is the fear of complications in relations with Russia. Israel, in a difficult geopolitical situation in the Middle East, is often forced to maneuver between various global centers of power, including Moscow.
As political observers note:
“Israel would be happy to recognize the Holodomor, but politicians are afraid of a possible Russian reaction. This is especially important in the context of Syria, where Moscow plays a key role influencing the situation on the Israeli borders.”
This difficult diplomatic position reflects the peculiarities of Israeli foreign policy, which seeks to avoid direct confrontation with Moscow.
The influence of the Russian diaspora and cultural connections
An important factor influencing Israel's position is the significant influence of the Russian diaspora. Among people from the countries of the former USSR, many remain committed to Russian culture and ideology. Some of them continue to defend the Soviet version of history, where the Holodomor is presented as “a tragedy of the entire USSR”, and not a deliberate act of genocide against Ukrainians.
As experts say:
“Russian emigrants in Israel, many of whom come from Ukraine, continue to live in the paradigm of the 'Russian world', which affects public opinion and even the positions of politicians.”
These cultural and historical connections, formed over decades, still influence the perception of the tragedies of other peoples. As a result, any steps that could be perceived as “anti-Russian” cause serious resistance.
Political context: Russia and Israeli diplomacy
Relations between Israel and Russia have always been difficult. Moscow plays an important role on the international stage, especially in matters of Middle Eastern security. It is important for Israel to maintain a working relationship with the Kremlin in order to avoid aggravation of the situation on the borders.
Some analysts note that recognition of the Holodomor as genocide could cause a sharp reaction from Moscow, which is unacceptable for Israel in the current conditions. One of the experts emphasized:
“Israel is trying to balance. His interests in relations with Russia include not only political aspects, but also cultural, economic and military factors.”
The influence of stereotypes and mutual accusations
We should not forget about the difficulties in relations between the Jewish and Ukrainian peoples, which are sometimes overshadowed by mutual accusations.
On the one hand, in Israeli society there is an opinion about “traditional anti-Semitism” in Ukraine. On the other hand, in Ukraine there are sometimes accusations of “Jewish participation in the Holodomor.” These myths, fueled by both historical propaganda and modern manipulation, continue to poison the dialogue.
Memory of the Holodomor: lessons for modern times
Ukraine continues to fight for international recognition of the Holodomor as genocide. Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that this tragedy is part of the policy of extermination of the Ukrainian people, which continues today in the form of Russian aggression.
As the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement:
“The regime that organized the Holodomor and modern Russia have common features. The policy of the 'Russian world', the destruction of Ukrainian identity and the forced deportation of Ukrainian children are a direct continuation of imperial ideology.”
This position emphasizes the importance of recognizing the Holodomor not only as a historical tragedy, but also as a lesson for modern times.
Why is this important for Israel?
Israel, as a country that survived the tragedy of the Holocaust, could play an important role in restoring historical justice. Recognition of the Holodomor as genocide would become a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine and a reminder that the memory of the victims of the past should unite peoples.
As notes “NAnews – Israel News”:
“The issue of recognition of the Holodomor is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole world. This is a step towards international justice and strengthening relations between our peoples.”
Ukraine has already expressed gratitude to those countries that recognized the Holodomor as genocide. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes:
“We call on the international community to continue restoring historical justice.”
Conclusion
The memory of the Holodomor is not just a part of Ukrainian history, but also a warning to the whole world that crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations.
For Israel, recognition of this tragedy could be a step towards strengthening relations with Ukraine and an important contribution to the fight against modern manifestations of aggression and hatred. The only question is whether Israel will find the courage to take this step in the near future.
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