Antisemites Hit New Low by Likening Israel to Putin

The unprovoked and horrific attack on Ukraine has reminded me, once again, how lucky I am that my family, who came here as refugees, immigrated to America. It troubles me to know that, on the other side of the world, thousands of children are stuck where I once was: trying to escape the clutches of a madman who upended life for an entire country. Having escaped a repressive regime myself, I understand what these children and families are enduring. They need our support.

Last week, Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin kicked off a ruthless invasion of Ukraine, potentially displacing millions of innocent people. Fleeing a historic degree of destruction and havoc, many Ukrainian men, women, and children have fled, heading for Ukraine’s borders with Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.

At the same time, other Ukrainians—both men and women—have stayed behind to defend their homeland. For many of the refugees and displaced people, contact with loved ones who remain in Ukraine is uncertain, particularly as the Russian regime increases its brutality in the face of unexpected resistance. Sadly, I know this feeling all too well. As a mother, seeing images of Ukrainian children being ripped from their parents’ arms breaks my heart.

I was born shortly before the Islamic revolution steamrolled Iran, the historic land formerly called Persia, where my family lived for generations. When I was six years old, my family and I were trapped by the Ayatollah’s government and not allowed to leave. During the Iran-Iraq war, I too saw the images of missiles flying through the air and heard the sounds of sirens in the middle of the night. We would sit by the window and watch them while our parents pointed them out as fireworks. A bomb landed two blocks from our home one evening, and we knew we had to go. My family and I had to be smuggled out of the country by crossing the Pakistani border in a grain cart.

The images of Ukrainian mothers and their children have awakened many painful memories. The year 1979 was a different time, yet I will never forget how the world turned its back on the Iranian people during the Iranian Revolution. Thankfully, the international community is stepping up to give Ukrainian children and families the assistance that is possible, and to give their people the support and supplies they need to carry on their struggle in the face of vastly superior numbers of invaders.

We felt helpless when my family was stuck in Iran during this tumultuous period. It seemed like nobody was coming to save us. Many Persian Jews, including my family, immigrated to the United States while others fled to Israel. Thankfully, Israel is joining the international community by bringing aid to the Ukrainian people. I was inspired to hear that a delegation of Israeli medics landed in Moldova to serve families whose lives have been disrupted by the conflict. The Jewish state did not stop there; Israel sent 100 tons of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Despite having spent years establishing a collegial relationship with post-Soviet Russia, which maintains a large military presence in Israel’s neighbor Syria, Israel has stood by Ukraine, voting in favor of the United Nations resolution condemning Putin’s invasion.

As Putin wages his illegal war on Ukraine and its innocent people, the anti-Israel mob has been hard at work, appropriating the conflict to attack Israel and Jews.

As Putin wages his illegal war on Ukraine and its innocent people, the anti-Israel mob has been hard at work, appropriating the conflict to attack Israel and Jews. Just this week, supermodel Gigi Hadid hijacked the conflict in Ukraine and inaccurately compared it to Palestine, saying, “I am pledging to donate my earnings from the Fall 2022 shows to aid those suffering from the war in Ukraine, as well as continuing to support those experiencing the same in Palestine.” Other vocal activists used the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine to promote their anti-Israel propaganda, including Irish lawmaker Richard Boyd Barrett, who told parliament, “You’re happy to correctly use the most strong and robust language to describe the crimes against humanity of Vladimir Putin but you will not use the same strength of language when it comes to describing Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.” Allowing these false comparisons to go unchecked has resulted in a flood of social media posts equating Ukraine to Palestine. They have wasted no time perpetuating a false dichotomy between Putin’s war crimes and Israel’s self-defense. Shame on them. In these trying times, they have shown their true colors as immoral hypocrites who will stop at nothing to advance their agenda.

Judaism teaches us that it’s never okay to benefit from other peoples’ suffering. Rather, we are commanded to do all we can to lift up the downtrodden and work together to make this a better world for everyone. If there ever was a time for the anti-Israel mob to keep quiet, it is right now.

When I reflect on my family’s escape from Iran, I recognize that we could not have made it out alone. So many brave people gave my family a second chance at life, even though defiance against the Ayatollah’s regime can be punishable by death. At the very least, Ukrainians deserve just that: a lifeline and a second chance. That is why so many brave Ukrainians have placed their lives on hold to fight for their country, while others are providing cover for their neighbors and children to safely flee Russian aggression. Putin’s war crimes have caused a human tragedy not seen on the European continent in decades. As people of values and conscience, Westerners cannot sit on the sidelines as we watch this human tragedy unfold. Because of one man’s madness, greed and bloodlust, God’s children are in peril. This cannot stand today or ever.

Dr. Sheila Nazarian is a Los Angeles physician, star of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Skin Decision: Before and After,” and a pro-Israel activist.