On May 13, 2026, the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, published on social media the text of his speech at a reception in Kyiv dedicated to Israel’s Independence Day. The reception itself took place on Monday, May 11, 2026, after the official date of Yom Ha’atzmaut, which Israel celebrated in 2026 on the evening of April 21 and April 22.
The main message of this speech was broader than diplomatic protocol. Brodsky spoke not only about the 78th anniversary of Israel’s independence but also about how war, anxieties, defense technologies, and the struggle for freedom have brought Israel and Ukraine closer together.
“There are few countries in the world that understand each other better”
At the beginning of his speech, the ambassador addressed Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yevhen Mishchenko, guests, and colleagues. He thanked them for attending the reception and immediately highlighted the key idea: Israel and Ukraine today understand each other not theoretically, but through the shared experience of living under threat.
According to Brodsky, there are few countries in the world that can so well understand each other’s situation. In recent years, air raid sirens have often sounded in both Israel and Ukraine. For the Israeli audience, this comparison is especially understandable: air raids have ceased to be news and have become part of everyday life, just as for the residents of Sderot, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, or northern Israel, as well as for the residents of Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and other Ukrainian cities.
Brodsky specifically noted that Ukraine in many ways repeats the path that Israel has taken over its 78 years of existence. This is not about copying, but about a similar logic of survival: when a country is forced to build defense, technology, international relations, and national resilience simultaneously.
Diplomacy as medicine: “do no harm”
One of the strongest parts of the speech was dedicated to the relations between Israel and Ukraine. The ambassador acknowledged that the last year has been challenging for both countries, and there have been difficult moments in bilateral relations.
At the same time, Brodsky compared the relations between Israel and Ukraine to family relations. In a family, there are difficulties, sometimes the help of a “family psychologist” is needed, but the closeness itself does not disappear.
This formulation is important: it shows that the diplomat did not try to smooth everything over into an empty protocol phrase. He directly acknowledged the existence of problems but presented them as part of a living, close, and caring relationship.
Separately, Brodsky recalled that he once intended to become a doctor and drew a parallel between medicine and diplomacy. According to him, in both fields, the principle of “do no harm” primarily applies. During almost five years of work in Ukraine, as he said, he tried not to deviate from this principle.
For Israel and Ukraine, this sounds especially relevant. In the relations between the two countries, there have indeed been periods of tension: due to Kyiv’s expectations from Israel, Israel’s position on security issues, Ukraine’s reaction to the Middle East agenda, and the general pressure of war. But precisely for this reason, diplomatic caution sometimes becomes not a weakness but a way to maintain contact where emotions could destroy everything.
Golda Meir, Kyiv, and the right not to be pessimists
In his speech, Brodsky recalled Golda Meir, one of the most symbolic figures in Israel’s history. She was born in Kyiv, and today this fact again acquires special meaning for the Israeli-Ukrainian dialogue.
The ambassador quoted her phrase: “Pessimism is a luxury that Jews can never afford.” Brodsky added that today these words equally apply to both Israelis and Ukrainians.
At this point, the speech ceased to be purely diplomatic. It became a conversation about the national character of two societies that live under threat but do not have the right to build their future solely around fear.
Such statements are especially important for the Israeli audience today. NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes that the topic of Ukrainian-Israeli relations increasingly goes beyond ordinary diplomacy: here memory, war, Jewish history, security, technology, and the question of how free countries withstand the pressure of terrorism and aggression are connected.
Brodsky’s tenure is coming to an end
The most personal moment was the ambassador’s acknowledgment of the imminent end of his tenure in Ukraine. Brodsky said that his work in Kyiv was special and added: he regrets only one thing — that peace did not come before the end of his mission in Ukraine.
Then came a phrase that became a political signal: “I appeal to those on whom it depends: you still have three months. It’s time to intensify these efforts.”
These words can be read as a diplomatic wish, but also as an emotional point in a complex mission. Brodsky headed the Israeli embassy in Ukraine in 2021, meaning a significant part of his tenure coincided with the period of full-scale Russian war against Ukraine. Ukrainian and Israeli sources have already reported that his term is coming to an end: Roy Rosenblit is expected to become the new Israeli ambassador to Ukraine.
Why this speech is important
The speech did not contain loud promises or sharp political attacks. But it contained several important signals.
Firstly, Israel publicly acknowledges Ukrainian resilience and the development of defense technologies as a significant experience.
Secondly, Brodsky once again linked Israel and Ukraine through the shared reality of war, anxieties, and the struggle for independence.
Thirdly, he effectively summed up his personal work in Kyiv — without a triumphant tone, but with clear regret that peace has not yet come.
In conclusion, the ambassador thanked the embassy staff and partner organizations: Nativ, Keren Kayemet LeIsrael, Keren Hayesod, Keren HaYedidut, Joint, and Sochnut.
For Israel, it was a speech about independence. For Ukraine — about war and hope. For the relations between the two countries — a reminder that even in difficult periods, the connection does not disappear if both sides understand the price of freedom.