By: Dim Amor

According to information published in Russia, Israel has been invited to the May 9 parade in Moscow, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expected to attend. Instead, Israel will be represented by its ambassador to Russia, Simona Halperin.

A sharp open letter was sent today to Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Knesset Member Sharren Haskel, and Israel's Ambassador to Russia, Simona Halperin, demanding the cancellation of Israel's participation in the May 9 parade in Moscow.

This is one big hallucination – how can Israeli representatives sit beside dictators? I, by virtue of my position as a media person, hereby express an uncompromising demand for a comprehensive and in-depth explanation – and it should be made clear that this is not a casual inquiry, but a firm and unequivocal demand! Should Israel's involvement in the event in question continue, I will order extensive demonstrations outside the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's official residence.

Putin's hands are stained with blood – the blood of murdered Ukrainian Jews, Israelis suffering from Hamas, LGBTQ+ people murdered in Chechnya, journalists murdered in their attempt to tell the truth. His hands are also stained with blood from his war against Georgia, from inconceivable acts in Africa and Syria carried out by Wagner (an integral part of the Russian army), and from the blood of hundreds of thousands killed and wounded in Ukraine.

It is important to raise awareness about Russia's nature: Russia stands almost in the position of an enemy state. The Foreign Ministry should be reminded of the following facts:

Following the October 7 events, Hamas representatives visited Moscow many times. Russia provides weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah and supports Iran. In Russia, Hamas and Hezbollah organizations are not defined as terrorist organizations but as political movements fighting for freedom.

It was Russia that declared on its own initiative the State of Palestine and established a Palestinian embassy in Moscow. Russian missiles continue to land in Israeli territory to this day. "Kalashnikov" weapons, which Russia supplied to Hamas, were used in the October 7 events to murder Jews.

After the October 7 events, Russia refrained from supporting Israel and justified Hamas's actions. In the state media channels in Russia, after these events, Israelis and Jews are called "Nazis". In the twenty-first century, particularly on Russian soil, cruel pogroms against Jewish people occurred, including the burning of a synagogue and a pogrom at the airport in Dagestan province.

Russia is responsible for the extermination of the Ukrainian people, including the murder of Ukrainian Jews, among them Holocaust survivors. The number of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine is enormous, including the systematic taking of Ukrainian territories.

We will not elaborate on the blatant human rights violations occurring in Russia under the current regime, such as legislation against the LGBTQ+ community (and the murder of homosexuals in Chechnya). In the Russian regime, decades of imprisonment have been imposed on writers and intellectuals for daring to make their free voices heard in a place where true democracy is absent. And much more beyond that. In addition, Russia recognizes Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel, not Jerusalem, consistently works for the return of the Golan Heights, and consistently votes against Israel in UN committees.

As evidence and example, a person with homosexual tendencies will be sentenced to twelve years in Russian prison, while any citizen who dares to write a call such as "enough war" or "the conflict with Ukraine must end" – is sentenced to ten years in prison. In contrast, murderers are punished with a light sentence of only about four years in prison.

Putin is a tyrant whose evil deeds now surpass those of Hitler. When we look back and see leaders who sat alongside Hitler at the Olympics or state events – those countries still bear eternal shame because their leaders honored Hitler and Germany under his rule. Does Israel want to be in such an embarrassing situation?

What will we say to our young generation – how will we explain that we, a people who experienced an attempted extermination, sat alongside a cruel dictator who is currently, in 2025, exterminating other peoples (including Jews)? About three hundred thousand Jews live in Ukraine (although their number has probably decreased significantly, as many have been murdered).

It is absurd that on May 9, Israeli representatives will sit together with Putin in his false "parade". I wonder if they will sit together with dictator Lukashenko and Hamas representatives?

There is no disrespect for May 9. It is an important day, Victory Day, and it is necessary to remember and honor this day. It is the day when the war ended and victory over Nazi Germany was achieved – there is no point in sitting with a dictator to honor one day or another.

I demand – not ask – demand an explanation: How can such a thing be? How will Israel sit together with supporters of Hamas and murderers of the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian Jews?

There is a limit to cooperation with the devil and an admirer of Hitler. Putin must understand that he is not welcome and not accepted in democracies.

Victory Day over the Nazis is a significant day, but the parade in Moscow has long since transformed from a memorial event to a propaganda tool in the hands of the Russian regime. Instead of honoring the memory of millions of Soviet citizens killed in the war against the Nazis, Putin has turned the day into a celebration of nationalism and self-glorification.

The decision to participate in the May 9 parade goes beyond a technical question of diplomatic representation. It is a value judgment concerning the core of Israeli identity. Can the State of Israel, which arose from the ashes of the Holocaust, participate in an event alongside a regime that provides weapons to organizations calling for its destruction? Can the Jewish community in Israel and around the world stand by when its representatives grant legitimacy to a state supporting its sworn enemies?

Somewhere deep in my soul, I still wish to believe this is but a Russian deception and that Israel has not granted its approval, but sadly, the Israeli Embassy in Russia has confirmed that the ambassador will indeed take part, and all Russian media outlets have published announcements and information about May 9, with Israel's representation appearing on the list of participants alongside dictatorial regimes.

The implication of this is clear to any reasonable person – but apparently not to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli government.

We find ourselves at a historic turning point. Israel cannot dance at two weddings – it cannot fight terrorism and at the same time associate with its supporters. It cannot demand international solidarity against the Iranian threat while simultaneously recognizing a regime that provides Iran with advanced military technology.

Participation in the May 9 parade will be not only a moral stain but also a strategic mistake. It will send a message of weakness to our enemies and confuse our allies. Documentation of Israeli representatives sitting alongside Putin at the parade will become a propaganda tool in the hands of the Russian regime, which will be able to present Israel as agreeing with its policy.

As citizens in a democratic state, we must not remain silent in the face of dangerous decisions. The bitter truth is that Russia under Putin's rule has become one of the most dangerous factors for Israel's security and world peace. It feeds the axis of evil, provides weapons and technology to regimes hostile to Israel, and prepares the ground for the continued struggle against the existence of the Jewish state.

May 9 is a day to remember the victory over Nazism. But much more important is to remember the price our people paid to gain independence and security. When we surrender to short-term diplomatic considerations and ignore the real threats, we abandon the memory of the fallen and endanger the future of generations to come.

The time has come to say clearly: There is no place for Israeli representation at the May 9 parade in Moscow. Israel must remain faithful to its values and long-term interests. We must not lend a hand to Putin's attempt to present himself as a friend of the Jewish people, while in practice he provides weapons and legitimacy to our bitterest enemies.

This is not a matter of political right or left. It is an issue of national responsibility. The State of Israel must stand firm against threats to its existence, even when it involves a diplomatic price. History will judge us not by our ability to please dictators, but by our courage to stand by our principles.

Additional leaders who received an invitation from President Putin to participate in the May 9 parade (besides Israel): President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko; President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov; Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan; and President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. Invitations were also sent to the leaders of Vietnam, Mongolia, and Laos, as well as to Abu Mazen and his representatives. Given the list of invitees, Israel should seriously consider its place and status in this context.

Photos: Simona Halperin – Embassy of Israel in Russia; from the official Facebook pages of Gideon Sa'ar and Sharren Haskel, in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Law