Hamas’ shocking terrorist attack against Israel has galvanized US support for Israel’s cause. Many conservative Republicans who support Israel oppose continuing support for Ukraine’s struggle against the similar attack by Russia. GOP Sen. Josh Hawley says “[a]Any funding for Ukraine must be immediately redirected to Israel.” This pro-Israel/anti-Ukraine stance is incoherent. Some of the same moral and tactical arguments that support Israel apply to Ukraine. Both states are liberal democratic nations that are under threat from authoritarian mass killers who wish to destroy both. Russian atrocities are similar to Hamas’s but on a larger scale. It is impossible to justify morally supporting Israel without also doing the same for Ukraine. The strategic justification for backing Israel applies equally to Ukraine.
I fully recognize that pro-Israel/anti-Ukraine and support for both aren’t the only possible combinations of views on these issues. Some Western leftists support Ukraine…
