editorials
Stop the War Crimes
A s we gather around our seder
tables this week, we encourage
serious discussion about the reported
atrocities being perpetrated by
the Russian war machine against
defenseless civilians in Ukraine.

According to reports, Russian
forces have left a shocking trail of
death in their wake. The Russian
army’s retreat from the Kyiv area
— and particularly from Bucha —
left disturbing evidence and hor-
rific stories of massive execution of
civilians. Russian missiles have tar-
geted hospitals, schools and places
where civilians are known to shelter
— including the graphic images we
have all seen of the pregnant woman
being carried out of a maternity hos-
pital that had just been bombed. The
woman and her baby both died. And
last Friday, another missile struck
a train station where thousands of
people, mostly women and chil-
dren, had gathered. The Russian
war effort’s apparent careless dis-
regard for human life is profoundly
troubling. If the reports are credible — and
we have no reason to distrust them
— they paint an ugly picture of geno-
cide in our day and of atrocities that
cannot be ignored.

Our government must continue
to lead world outrage with mean-
ingful action. Last week, the Senate
at a later date. We encourage quick
passage in the House and an imme-
diate presidential signature.

We also support the ramping up
of sanctions against Russia and the
continuation of significant funding
for military and humanitarian aid for
Ukraine. These efforts are the right
This year, let’s put ourselves in the
shoes of our brethren in Ukraine.

And let’s be part of their salvation.

unanimously passed the Ukraine
Democracy Defense Lend-Lease
Act of 2022 — similar to the lend-
lease act designed to help Britain
against Nazi attacks before the U.S.

entered World War II — which would
enable the U.S. to provide military
equipment and other resources that
Ukraine could use now and pay for
thing to do, and prompt action will
help us avoid anything similar to
the painful guilt and recriminations
many feel from knowing that the
U.S. fell short in the 1930s and ’40s
by not admitting more Jewish refu-
gees during the Holocaust and from
reluctance to bomb railways lead-
ing to Nazi concentration camps. So
now, we are proud to see America’s
quick and meaningful responses to
Russia’s Ukraine outrages and U.S.

leadership in the unification of our
allies. But we add a word of caution:
In discussing the horror of Russia’s
behavior and callous disregard for
human life, be careful what you call
it. What is happening in Ukraine is
unforgivable. But it is too glib to label
the war crimes being committed in
Ukraine as “another Holocaust.” It
isn’t. It is its own horrible thing,
and the inhuman behavior deserves
vilification and condemnation. But
comparing Ukraine to the Holocaust
is unnecessary, and doing so dimin-
ishes the unique suffering of the
Jewish people during the Holocaust
and the Ukrainian people now.

During Passover, we imagine our-
selves to be with our ancestors on
the night of their redemption. We
make their story our story. This year,
let’s put ourselves in the shoes of
our brethren in Ukraine. And let’s be
part of their salvation. JE
Government in Limbo
J ust when we were starting to get
comfortable about the prospects
for Israel’s politically diverse
and razor-thin majority coalition
government led by Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister
Yair Lapid, the expected happened:
The delicate balance collapsed.

Yamina MK Idit Silman announced
that she was resigning from the
coalition, leaving the Bennett-
Lapid team without majority control.

Speculation about next steps has
been dizzying.

While Silman’s defection to former
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
Likud party could inaugurate a race
to the exits from others in the coali-
tion — and there seem to be several
leaning in that direction — there are
those who believe that such a move
is less likely since the remaining
coalition members and their parties
16 could conclude that they have more
to lose by leaving than by staying.

In order to bring down the cur-
rent government and replace it with
another, at least 61 MKs must vote to
dissolve the government and go to
new elections. Or a majority could
vote to replace the government with
another governing coalition (without
an election). The Knesset is in recess
until next month, so it will be several
weeks before lawmakers can act.

And no one knows which way things
will go.

All eyes seem to be focused on
Netanyahu, the current opposition
leader, who stands to gain advan-
tage if the government falls. But
Netanyahu needs the support of at
least 61 Knesset members — some-
thing he was not able to do with
this same group of MKs in the past
— in order to return to the Prime
APRIL 14, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Minister’s office.

And there is an added complica-
tion. If the Knesset is dissolved, the
current agreement stipulates that
centrist Foreign Minister Yair Lapid
would automatically become prime
minister until a new government is
sworn in. That would give him and
his Yesh Atid party the power of
incumbency going into the elec-
tions and in forming any new gov-
ernment. If Netanyahu wants to replace the
Bennett-Lapid government without
an election, speculation focuses on
his need to cut a deal with Defense
Minister Benny Gantz (and his
eight-member Blue and White party)
whereby Gantz would become the
next prime minister, to be followed
by Netanyahu in some agreed rota-
tion arrangement. But Gantz’s pre-
vious deal with Netanyahu didn’t
end well, and he’s not likely to agree
to any Netanyahu promises without
some ironclad assurances.

Which leads to the possibility that
continuing political gridlock will
enable the existing government to
continue in place for the next year,
until March 2023, when a state bud-
get must be passed, or new elec-
tions will be triggered by law.

Nothing about these develop-
ments is unexpected. Indeed, it is
surprising that the Bennett-Lapid
coalition government was able
to stay together for the past nine
months. Yet, we found comfort in
the careful compromises that were
being pursued and the hope for
political stability going forward.

Perhaps some further compromise
or accommodation can be negoti-
ated. If not, we will be back in the
messy mix of political chaos. JE