Author: Карабас Барабас

On January 15, 2026, the Israeli publication The Jerusalem Post published (Eng.) a report by journalist Michael Starr about Jewish servicemen who continue to fight as part of the Ukrainian army, while “the attention of the world audience increasingly shifts to other crises” – original.

The main idea of the material is simple and harsh: even if the media agenda changes, Russia’s war against Ukraine has not stopped for a single season, and the Jews of Ukraine remain among those who “hold the line” since 2022, going through winter after winter.

Drone reconnaissance commander from Nikolaev: “fight for your country”

One of the key figures in the report is Moshe Bizsemov, the commander of a small group of reconnaissance drones. He has been serving in the Ukrainian army since 2018 and witnessed the phase of battles often associated in Ukraine with the war in Donbas after 2014. Bizsemov is a resident of Nikolaev, a father of two, and was supposed to complete his service in April 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion began.

However, circumstances unfolded differently. At the moment when his unit came under attack, Bizsemov was in the process of being discharged. Many of his soldiers were captured in Mariupol, and as noted in the material, seven had not been released at the time of publication. He extended his contract and remained in service. When asked about his motivation, the answer is extremely short: “fight for your country.”

The report also highlights another detail: Bizsemov was wounded at the beginning of the war and had grounds to leave the service with an honorable discharge. Instead, he continued working specifically in drone reconnaissance — where the price of a mistake is measured not in statistics but in human lives on the ground.

BMP driver and “the man who stopped”: the story of Andre Chernecki

The second figure is Andre Chernecki, a driver of an armored vehicle (BMP). The text states that he has been serving since March 22 (the year is not specified in the material) and has gone through some of the bloodiest episodes of the war, including Bakhmut. Chernecki fought there twice, with one rotation, according to him, lasting seven months.

The strongest fragment of the report is an episode that Chernecki recounts as an illustration of a choice made “inside the war.” Returning from the Bakhmut direction and already about a kilometer from a safe area, he noticed a Ukrainian soldier trapped by debris in a destroyed building. According to protocol, the armored vehicle should not stop: the risk is too high for the crew and equipment. Chernecki stopped.

He ran out, bandaged the wound, and then effectively amputated the destroyed limb that was holding the soldier under the rubble, after which his team loaded the wounded onto the armored vehicle. The material emphasizes: by this act, he put himself and his people at risk, but he believed that otherwise, the soldier would have been “left behind,” and then almost certainly forgotten.

Chernecki speaks about his Jewish identity directly and without embellishment. He did not hide that he was Jewish and perceived it as part of his service: “if you represent a people — you must keep the bar higher.” He notes that he was wounded three times and explains why he continues to fight: so that no one can say that Jews do not fight.

Not everyone is on the front line — and this is also part of the truth

The Jerusalem Post text does not romanticize. It states directly: as among other citizens of Ukraine, among Jews, there were those who did not go to fight — who hid at home, fearing mobilization, or tried to avoid conscription. One of the Jewish leaders admits regret about this part of reality, but other community representatives emphasize: there are many servicemen, it’s just difficult to name the exact number.

The reason lies in the structure of the community and society. Some are actively involved in Jewish life and are visible, while others live outside community frameworks, and even people who usually “keep their finger on the pulse” may not know about their service.

The cost of war: the dead, the wounded, returning and dying on position

The report lists specific cases of losses among Jewish fighters. One of them is Tzvi-Hirsch (Grisha) Zvergazda, a cook and father of two. He died in June in the Kherson direction. The article notes his dream — to open a kosher restaurant in Odessa and someday receive a Michelin star.

Around the same time, Andrey Korovsky, a 32-year-old Chabad school teacher, died. He was a drone operator, had previously returned to service after a combat wound, and died on the front from a heart attack. In this fragment, the “rear” side of the war is especially noticeable: even when a person does not die from a bullet or shrapnel, the war continues to wear down the body.

Another hero is Maksim Nelipa, a 44-year-old Ukrainian actor and TV presenter. The material states that he left television at the beginning of the invasion and went to fight, and in May he was killed in battle. A separate detail strengthens the Ukraine-Israel connection: according to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Nelipa’s son was at that time fighting as part of the Golani Brigade in Gaza and received news of his father’s death right on duty.

How many are there: assessment of losses and scale of participation

There is no official “Jewish statistics” for the Ukrainian army, and the report emphasizes that the numbers vary. But an estimate by Jewish representatives is provided: since 2022, the number of Jewish citizens of Ukraine who died in the war may range from 100 to 200 people, with dozens dying just last year. Against this background, another estimate is heard: now about twice as many Jews serve in the army as those who have already died.

This is not accounting and not a dispute over numbers. Rather, it is a marker that we are talking not about isolated stories, but about a noticeable layer of society that bears the same cost of war as the rest.

The role of communities: funerals, family assistance, chaplain on the front line

An important block of the report is about how Jewish structures in Ukraine take on what would be taken for granted in peacetime. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) reports that it helps organize Jewish funerals together with Chabad emissaries, supports families financially, and conducts prayers and Kaddish readings for the deceased.

The article also mentions Hungarian Jewish volunteer Binyamin Aser — an example of how the war attracts people to Ukraine from abroad, and the issue of a dignified burial becomes part of humanitarian work.

The work of military chaplain, Rabbi-Lieutenant Yakov Sinyakov, associated with FJCU, is described separately. He visits the trenches, brings soldiers sweets “the taste of home,” distributes books of psalms to those who ask, talks to recruits who see the front for the first time and do not always cope psychologically. Sinyakov has a master’s degree in psychology, and the material emphasizes that he knows how to “connect” with people not through slogans, but through human conversation.

His thought is also presented, explaining the moral complexity of war: some soldiers find it difficult to accept the very idea of killing, but in the “reality of evil,” he says, protecting family and country makes this choice inevitable.

Why this is important for Israel

The report includes a phrase of gratitude to Israel for accepting Ukrainian refugees at the beginning of the war. But the key meaning is broader: for the Israeli audience, Ukraine increasingly becomes an “external topic,” while for people on the front line, it is a matter of life and death, without pauses for changes in the news cycle.

The story of Jewish fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is simultaneously about Ukraine and about Israel: about shared memory, about the reaction to violence, about family ties that ended up on both sides of the fronts and borders, and about how war tears apart “ordinary life” in the most unexpected places — from Nikolaev and Kherson to Holon and IDF bases.

That is why such texts are important not as an emotional gesture, but as a document of the time: names, facts, direct words of people who fight, bury, return after injuries, and go back to positions. In the Russian-speaking Israeli agenda, this layer of reality must remain visible — and this is exactly what NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency works for.

Original from January 15, 2026, The Jerusalem Post (Eng.) report by journalist Michael Starr:

https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-883460

In Israel, there is a radio station that many turn on out of habit — in the car, at work, at home. “First Radio 89.1 FM” has long become a part of everyday life for Israelis. But there is a program on its airwaves that not everyone knows about: a Ukrainian-language broadcast entirely dedicated to Ukraine.

This is the program “Fafa-Lalya”, hosted by Honored Artist of Ukraine Dmytro Gershenzon. It is a rare format for Israeli FM radio — a broadcast in Ukrainian, dedicated to Ukrainian music, culture, and famous Ukrainians.

“A program about famous Ukrainians, great Ukrainian culture, and unique Ukrainian music. The host of the program, Honored Artist of Ukraine Dmytro Gershenzon, introduces music and songs from different years and styles. He presents premieres and shares stories about the creation of songs, VIA, conducts interviews — and all this in Ukrainian” – the creators present their program.

Here, for example:

What is “First Radio 89.1 FM”

“First Radio 89.1 FM” https://www.891fm.co.il/

and https://www.facebook.com/891pervoe

and https://www.youtube.com/@PervoeRadio89.1

is a commercial FM radio station in Israel. It began broadcasting on October 14, 2001 and has since remained one of the most recognizable stations for the country’s audience.

The radio operates in the FM band daily from 07:00 to 23:00, and online broadcasting is available 24/7. In addition to classic radio reception, the station can be listened to via the internet and on television platforms. This gives “First Radio” a wide audience and makes it an important media platform for different cultural voices.

Ukrainian program on Israeli radio

Against this backdrop, the appearance of a program in the Ukrainian language within the schedule looks particularly noteworthy. “Fafa-Lalya” is not a short segment or a one-time project, but a full-fledged author’s program that has been regularly broadcast for several years.

The format of the program is musical and educational. The focus is on:

• Ukrainian music from different eras and genres,
• stories of famous songs’ creation,
• tales of legendary VIA,
• contemporary performers,
• interviews and cultural context.

And all this — with Ukrainian speech on Israeli radio, without adaptation and translation “for convenience.”

Dmytro Gershenzon: biography and creative path

Dmytro Lazarevich Gershenzon is a Ukrainian musician, singer, composer, arranger, and radio host, Honored Artist of Ukraine. He was born on March 9, 1956 in the city of Balta, Odessa region (at that time — Ukrainian SSR).

Gershenzon received his musical education at the Bălți Music College, graduating in 1976. By the late 1970s, he began his professional musical career and quickly entered the Ukrainian pop scene.

Since 1977, Dmytro Gershenzon worked with various vocal-instrumental ensembles. Over the years, he was a member and soloist of well-known groups, actively performing, recording, touring, and collaborating with other Ukrainian musicians. His activities covered both performance work and composing and arranging.

In the 1990s, Gershenzon became widely known as one of the representatives of the Ukrainian pop scene. His contribution to the development of Ukrainian music was officially recognized: in 1996, he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of Ukraine.

In addition to concert activities, Dmytro Gershenzon actively worked in the studio, wrote music, engaged in arrangements and production, and participated in the creation of musical projects and programs. His professional biography is connected with Ukrainian musical culture of the late 20th — early 21st century.

In 2013, Dmytro Gershenzon repatriated to Israel. After moving, he did not cease his creative activities and continued to work with Ukrainian cultural material already in the Israeli context. It was during this period that he became the author and host of the Ukrainian-language radio program “Fafa-Lalya”, dedicated to Ukrainian music, culture, and famous Ukrainians.

here – https://www.facebook.com/dmitrij.gersenzon

Thus, Dmytro Gershenzon’s creative path unites several stages — the Soviet and post-Soviet period of Ukrainian pop, independent Ukraine, and the Israeli stage, where he continues to popularize Ukrainian culture beyond the country.

When “Fafa-Lalya” airs

The program airs in the evening, usually in the format of a one-hour broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesdays.

In the broadcast schedule, it has established itself as a regular program, not a one-time project. In addition to the live broadcast, individual episodes can be found in the radio’s archive recordings.

Why it matters

“Fafa-Lalya” is not just a music program. It is an example of how Ukrainian culture sounds in Israel not episodically, but systematically.

On the radio, in the country of repatriation, where dozens of identities intertwine, the Ukrainian program in the Ukrainian language becomes a form of cultural presence — calm, natural, and lively.

It is not nostalgia or exoticism. It is a normal conversation about music, people, and memory — in one’s own language.

Question to readers

Have you ever accidentally come across “Fafa-Lalya” — in the car, at home, at work?
And if so: which Ukrainian song or performer sounds like “home” to you, even while in Israel?

Where and how to listen

“First Radio 89.1 FM”

“Fafa-Lalya”

at 20:00 on Tuesdays.

Every autumn, the city of Uman in the Cherkasy region of Ukraine becomes a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Jews from all over the world who come to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

This event symbolizes not only a religious tradition, but also a deep historical connection between the Jewish people and the Ukrainian land. Many Jews, inspired by this tradition, settled in Uman, creating an entire microdistrict and gradually assimilating into the Ukrainian cultural environment, which emphasizes the long history of coexistence between Jews and Ukrainians.

Israeli philologist and cultural scientist, professor Wolf Moskovich, told in detail about significant Ukrainian-Jewish cultural ties, which are reflected even in surnames, many of which are of Ukrainian origin. For example, the surnames Ivankiv And Vannikov come from the name of the village of Ivanki, located near Uman, and Zavadivker – from the village of Zavadivka. Surname Macedonian originates from the village of Makedoni, located near Kanev.

Of particular interest are surnames with a clear Ukrainian flavor, such as The Bully Tail, Coward Head, Storcheus And Psuybumaga. Although they resemble the style characteristic of the Zaporizhian Sich Cossacks, Professor Moskovich emphasizes that Jewish surnames began to form steadily only at the beginning of the 19th century, when the Sich had already ceased to exist. Nevertheless, this fact testifies to the complex interweaving of Ukrainian and Jewish cultures, which together formed unique social and cultural structures.

Historical ties between Jews and Ukrainians are also confirmed by numerous toponymic Jewish surnames that originate from the names of settlements in Ukraine and Belarus. These surnames were formed similarly to the surnames of the Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish gentry. In some cases, they even coincide with the gentry surnames of these peoples. The list of such surnames includes Lebedinsky, Mirgorodsky, Zhitomir, Belotserkovsky, Rakitnyansky, Potocki, Odessa, Chernobyl, Zhvanetsky, Koretsky, Brodsky and others. These surnames not only indicate a geographical connection, but also reflect the long history of coexistence of Jews on the territory of Ukraine.

In the 20th century, especially during the Soviet period, Jews had the opportunity to change their surnames, which was sometimes done to adapt to the local culture or for political reasons. Thus, Yiddish surnames could be calqued into Ukrainian analogues, for example: Bilan (from Weissman), Fisherman (from Fisher), Chervonenko (from Rothman), Chernenko (from Shvartsman) Such adaptation demonstrates the desire of Jews to integrate into Ukrainian society while preserving their roots.

A particularly interesting example of the Ukrainization of Jewish surnames is Pinchuk And Polischukwhich probably originated from surnames Pinsky And PoleskiyThis process testifies to the mutual influence and adaptation of cultures that lived side by side for many centuries.

The coexistence of Jews and Ukrainians has a long and sometimes complex history. Both nations have experienced periods of conflict and cooperation, but their shared cultural heritage continues to play a significant role in modern times. Jews began settling en masse in Ukraine in the Middle Ages, when the country was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and then the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Their contribution to the economic and cultural development of the regions was significant. Over time, Jewish communities in Ukraine became increasingly influential, and many Jews participated in the social and cultural life of the country.

This coexistence is especially relevant in our time, when the world is on the threshold of change, and preserving cultural ties and the memory of centuries-old cooperation between peoples is becoming even more important.

A Jewish Physicist Who Changed Science

In Odesa, 4th Suvorovska Street was officially renamed. It now bears the name of Yosyp (Joseph) Fisher — a prominent theoretical physicist of Jewish origin, whose scientific works remain a foundation for many modern studies. He was born in Minsk in 1919, but spent most of his professional life in Odesa.

This recognition is especially meaningful today, as Jewish and Ukrainian communities seek new points of connection in their shared historical and cultural memory. NAnews — News from Israel explains why the name of Yosyp Fisher deserves to be known by anyone interested in the relationship between Ukraine, Israel, and global science.

A Legacy That Spans a Lifetime

Yosyp Zalmanovych Fisher was a professor at Odesa National University named after I.I. Mechnikov. A theoretical physicist, he devoted over 20 years to advancing science in Odesa. From 1963 to 1983, he headed the Department of Theoretical Physics and created one of the most influential scientific schools in the Soviet Union.

• 150+ PhD candidates — his students
• 15 Doctors of Science — successors of his academic school
• Graduates work on every continent and at most universities in Odesa

What Made Him Famous in Science?

Fisher’s work covered a wide range of fields in the physics of liquid matter. His research explained why water has unusual properties and how fluids behave under critical conditions. He also studied gravitational effects and developed theories that shaped modern understanding of molecular and thermal interactions.

Summary of His Research Areas:

Field	Short Description
Statistical Theory of Liquids	Studied volume and surface properties of simple liquids
Critical Phenomena	Analyzed the behavior of fluids during phase transitions
Hydration	Explained the unique properties of water
Liquid Helium	Studied impurity behavior under superfluidity
Hydrodynamic Fluctuations	Developed the Lagrangian theory of thermal fluctuations
Transport Theory	Modeled thermal and molecular drift
Light Scattering	Created models for scattering in liquids and gases
Coulomb Interactions	Worked on plasma, liquid metals, and semiconductors
Gravity	Refined scalar and electromagnetic field theories

Fisher and Odesa — A Connection That Became Destiny

Although born in Belarus, Odesa became Fisher’s true home. At ONU, he built not just an academic base, but a true intellectual center. A memorial plaque was installed on the university’s main building, and in 2025 — 30 years after his death — the street where he lived and worked was named in his honor.

Ukraine’s scientific community has long highlighted his contributions to global physics, and only now has the city officially acknowledged his legacy.

Why This Matters for Jewish and Ukrainian Identity

NAnews — News from Israel consistently covers topics that help the Jewish diaspora in Israel better understand their roots and feel connected to Ukraine. The story of Yosyp Fisher is one such example. His life is a testament to how a person of Jewish descent became a symbol of Odesa’s scientific greatness.

It is also a response to Russian propaganda claiming that Ukraine disrespects Jews. Renaming the street is not just a tribute to one scientist — it is an act of cultural and historical justice.

Memory as a Foundation for the Future

Commemorating Yosyp Fisher’s name contributes to a shared historical memory. His works are still relevant, his students work across the globe, and now his name will live on in Odesa’s toponymy.

For the Jewish community of Israel, this is a source of pride: one of us became part of Ukraine’s scientific and urban history.

NAnews — News from Israel will continue to share stories about people who serve as bridges between Ukraine and Israel, between the Jewish and Ukrainian peoples.

June 10 is the birthday of the legendary “Dido Panas” – Petro Vesklyarov (Pinchas Khaimovich Vesklyar). The future actor was born in Talne, Uman County, Kyiv Province (now Cherkasy region) and came from a Jewish family.

A significant legend spread that, being the host of the children’s program “Good Night, Kids”, which was broadcast live, Grandpa Afanasiy ended the program with the phrase: “Such nonsense, kids…”

There is no tangible evidence that this happened (only one tape was preserved from the television archives), and the testimonies of witnesses are contradictory.

His signature greeting “Good evening to you, little ones, dear boys and girls” immediately transported you to some amazing world and heralded a fantastic adventure.

His fifteen-minute program “Good Night, Kids!” aired every Friday at 8:45 PM from 1964 to 1986 for 17 years (!).

From childhood. Who remembers? How many of us are here?

“Good evening to you, little ones, dear boys and girls…” This is how Grandpa Panas, the beloved of all, addressed Ukrainian kids from the TV screens in the program “Good Night, Kids.”

His colorful appearance (real Cossack mustache, beautiful embroidered shirt, warm voice with genuinely Ukrainian intonations); the interior of a Ukrainian room with towels; exclusively Ukrainian fairy tales made an unforgettable impression on both children and adults. For all viewers, he was familiar and recognizable.

The future actor was born in Talne, Uman County, Kyiv Province (now Cherkasy region). His birth surname was Vesklyar, and he came from a respectable Jewish family. The family lived in a so-called commune – a two-story house where several families settled. One room per family and a shared kitchen and dining room.

Petro became interested in theater in his youth. He visited the local drama club. It was here that actors from Cherkasy, who came on tour, noticed him. Thus, in 1932, Vesklyarov became an actor at the Cherkasy Workers’ and Peasants’ Theater.

At the beginning of the war, Petro was mobilized and sent to serve in the military theater of the Southwestern Front.

The 30-year-old artist was surrounded with the troops and ended up in a prisoner camp, where he introduced himself as Petro Vesklyarov. His atypical appearance and rich Ukrainian language saved him, and he escaped at the first opportunity. He returned to Kyiv, which was occupied by the Germans at the time. Concealing his origin, he found work on the railway and immediately created a theater club.

In late autumn 1941, the Germans began to gradually release Ukrainian prisoners home – Vesklyarov was freed. He did not return to the Cherkasy region, where the truth about his origin was known, and spent two years of occupation in Kyiv.

When the city became Soviet again, Vesklyarov returned to the frontline theater. He was demobilized in 1946.

He was not allowed to settle in the capital of the Ukrainian SSR (due to being on occupied territory – a “black mark” in his record for life), and was sent to Lutsk.

After the war, P. Vesklyarov was appointed to the Volyn Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after Shevchenko. Here the actor served until 1959, playing many interesting roles. Among them were Nikolai Zadorozhny (“Stolen Happiness” by I. Franko), the Commander (“The Stone Host” by Lesya Ukrainka), the Mayor (“The Inspector General” by N. Gogol)…

While working in Lutsk, he received an invitation to act in films. He moved to Kyiv. He proved himself as a brilliant supporting actor. Uncle Lev in “The Forest Song,” Grandpa Petriya in the film “Oleksa Dovbush,” Mr. Rector (“Viy”), Father Budulai (“Gypsy”)…

Vesklyarov’s last role in cinema was a peasant in the film “Forget the Word Death,” shot at the Odessa Film Studio in 1979. By that time, Petro Yefimovich was already widely known as Grandpa Panas from television. Which, by the way, was not only a positive but also a negative side: Vesklyarov was no longer invited to act in films. Whatever role he was offered, people saw only “Grandpa Panas” in the actor.

But this is probably not the main reason why Petro Vesklyarov was not offered leading roles or any roles at the “main” film studios. The reason is almost fantastic. In the USSR, a state of total Russification, actor Vesklyarov… practically did not speak Russian. Always – only in Ukrainian. To “language” questions, he jokingly replied: “I can’t learn Russian”… In the films where Vesklyarov still acted, his characters were voiced by other actors.

The actor died on January 5, 1994.

Colleagues remember Petro Yefimovich as a very sociable person, with a great sense of humor, a joker, and a wonderful storyteller.

Already grown-up people fondly remember him: “Sleep, my little one, hush, and the gray bunny is sleeping…”

A person who dedicated his entire life to ensuring that generation after generation of children in Ukraine heard the Ukrainian language, listened to Ukrainian fairy tales, joined Ukraine, and became Ukrainians. A person who proved with his entire life that even one warrior in the field is still a warrior and can still hope for victory. Even if everyone around considers Ukrainian a “rural dialect,” if they despise it and do not speak it – he still raises millions of children in such a way that they love and understand Ukrainian.

A deep bow and eternal respect. For everything. For the wonderful fairy tales, for the melodiousness of speech, for the crescent-shaped mustache, and the good smile. Bright and friendly, he became a grandfather for everyone. Every Ukrainian child had Grandpa Panas. Happy Birthday!

Read us on the channels Israel News Nikk.Agency Новини Ізраїлю

January 12, 2025 on the air of Lera Galitsina’s program on “Best Radio of Israel” featured a special guest — artist, animator, and cultural attaché of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine Regina Shafir.

In the interview, she talked about her unique mission in Ukraine, the challenges of war, the promotion of Israeli culture, and personal experiences.

Regina Shafir is the wife of the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky. Their children serve in the Israel Defense Forces, highlighting their connection to both countries.

Despite difficult circumstances, she continues to actively strengthen cultural ties between Israel and Ukraine by organizing lectures, exhibitions, and other events.

Painting Bomb Shelters and Working During the War

One of the most emotional moments of the interview was related to a project implemented by Regina Shafir and her colleague Zoya Sever. In November 2024, the artists transformed the bomb shelter of the children’s hospital “Okhmatdet” in Kyiv, turning it into a bright and cozy space.

We wrote about this – “Israeli Artists Transformed a Bomb Shelter in Kyiv’s Children’s Hospital ‘Okhmatdet’: Art for Children During the War”

“We wanted to give children the opportunity to escape, even in such difficult conditions. Art helps to cope with anxiety and fear,” shared Regina.

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Israeli Culture in Ukraine

Despite challenging times, Regina actively works on promoting Israeli culture. In the interview, she detailed the “Month of Israeli Series” held in Ukraine at the end of 2024.

“Israeli culture is unique in its sentimentality. Even military and dramatic plots always touch the depths of the soul,” she noted.

Also discussed were:

• The role of new immigrants in cultural diplomacy.
• The complexities of interaction between Israeli and Ukrainian cultural environments.

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Criticism of Israel and Personal Experiences

Regina openly expressed her views on the criticism directed at Israel by Ukrainians, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding.

A particularly touching moment was when Regina talked about her sons serving in the IDF, participating in military actions. “Death has become too close. It makes you appreciate every moment of life,” she shared.

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Art and Public Opinion

An important part of the interview was Regina’s reflections on art in wartime conditions and the changing perception of the artist by society. She raised topics such as:

• Confronting public opinion.
• The impact of artificial intelligence on creativity.
• Time management and work on the cartoon “Hatul Tov.”

“An artist remains relevant always because art is a reflection of life and history,” emphasized Shafir.

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Regina Shafir’s Cartoons

Regina detailed her cartoons, including works that address important social and cultural themes. Among the mentioned projects are her blog and animations that have already gained popularity in Israel and beyond.

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Personal Notes: Life on the Move and the Inner Child

The interview concluded with light and heartfelt topics. Regina talked about the life of diplomats, her children, and how she manages to maintain her inner child despite all the challenges.

“I feel like a citizen of the world. And this helps me understand others and convey my experiences through art,” she shared.

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Conclusion

Regina Shafir is a vivid example of a person who builds bridges between cultures through art, even in difficult times. Her creativity, personal example, and cultural mission strengthen ties between Israel and Ukraine.

You can learn more about Regina’s cartoons and her projects on her channel: https://www.youtube.com/@regishafir

Our website NANews — News of Israel continues to cover stories of people uniting our countries and shares unique examples of cultural interaction.

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The morning of February 28, 2026 marked a sharp transition of the Middle Eastern crisis into an open military phase. After the start of a joint operation by Israel and the USA against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an emergency address to the citizens of the country, warning of difficult days ahead.

Simultaneously, US President Donald Trump confirmed the start of a large-scale American military campaign against the Islamic Republic, designating it as a strategic operation to eliminate a national security threat.

Netanyahu’s address: preparing society for tense days

In a published video address, the head of the Israeli government directly addressed the citizens of the country, emphasizing that the operation is aimed against what he called an existential threat from the Iranian regime.

Netanyahu stated that Israel is acting jointly with the United States and specifically thanked US President Donald Trump for his support and political leadership at the moment of escalation.

According to the Prime Minister, for decades, the leadership of Iran has openly threatened the destruction of Israel and the USA, while simultaneously developing military capabilities that, according to Israeli authorities, could lead to the creation of nuclear weapons.

Call to follow safety instructions

A key part of the address was a call to the population to remain calm and strictly follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.

Netanyahu warned that during the operation, named “Lion’s Roar”, Israeli society will need endurance, discipline, and readiness for possible retaliatory actions from Iran.

He emphasized the idea of national unity, stating that the country’s security is ensured by the joint actions of the army and civil society.

Amidst the events, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes: public addresses by Israeli leadership are increasingly aimed not only at informing but also at psychologically preparing the population for a prolonged phase of regional confrontation.

Trump’s statement: The USA begins a long-term military campaign

Almost simultaneously with the Israeli Prime Minister’s address, US President Donald Trump made his own statement to the American audience.

He announced the start of a “large-scale and prolonged operation” by the American armed forces against Iran.

According to Trump, the goal of the campaign is to prevent threats to the USA and their strategic interests from the Iranian regime, which Washington considers a radical dictatorship.

Strikes on Iran’s military infrastructure

The American leader stated that the military actions are aimed at destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and its military infrastructure, including elements of the missile industry and naval forces.

Trump separately noted that, according to American intelligence, Iran continued work on restoring its nuclear program after previous strikes on nuclear facilities.

The US President also addressed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with a stern warning to lay down arms, stating that otherwise, the consequences would be military.

The region enters a new phase of conflict

The coincidence of statements by the leaders of Israel and the USA shows a high level of coordination between allies and indicates the transition of the conflict into a long-term strategic phase.

Israeli security services continue preparations for possible retaliatory strikes, including missile attacks and actions by Iran’s proxy forces in the region.

For Israeli citizens, the coming days remain a period of heightened readiness, where adherence to safety instructions and prompt response to warnings from the army and civil defense become key.

The situation continues to develop, and its consequences may determine the security balance in the Middle East for years to come.

Ukrainian diplomat and expert of the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation Volodymyr Lakomov in a column for “Literary Ukraine” proposes a controversial but understandable thesis: the colonial experience of Eastern Europe cannot be described only in the language of “classical” modern empires.

At the center of his argument is the idea of “reverse colonialism”: a model in which the colonizer historically appeared less developed in institutional and cultural terms than the colonized territories.

“Reverse colonialism”: Ukraine as a mirror of the colonizer

Not a periphery, but a source of modernity

In Lakomov’s text, Ukraine (like the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland) is described not as a cultural periphery of the empire, but as a space with higher practices of self-governance, economy, and education compared to “deep” Russia.

This asymmetry, according to the author, makes Eastern European colonialism “inverted”: the center gains control but does not bring modernization — it borrows it, displacing and appropriating.

The formula sounds harsh.

But it is precisely on such formulations that the author builds the explanation of why the conflict around Ukraine is not only a struggle for territory but a dispute over the right to be an alternative to the imperial center.

Horde as the original “statehood of control”

Lakomov traces the genealogy of this model to the Golden Horde, describing it not just as a military force, but as a system of governance that relied on three things:

tribute and resource extraction,

subjugation of local elites through dependence and internal conflicts,

sacralization of the ruler’s power “beyond the law”.

In such logic, the state functions as an army and tax mechanism, not as a development project.

This perspective is needed by the author to further discuss Russia as an heir not of “European” imperial practices, but of the Horde matrix.

Horde matrix in the Russian political model

Centralization as a cult, verticality as a habit

The column draws a line from the Horde to Muscovy, then to the Russian Empire and the USSR — and further to modern Russia. Not as a direct historical “copy,” but as a reproducible scheme: the ruler is declared the source of law and morality, and the state exists as a vertical of subordination.

For Lakomov, this is not just journalism about “authoritarianism.”

It is an attempt to explain the resilience of the system through historical habit: power is not limited by institutions, it stands above them.

Army and “tribute” as tools of governance

The second link is exploitation and militarization.

The author describes a model where the army is needed not only for external expansion but also for internal control. And regions and dependent territories are perceived as a source of resources: people, money, raw materials, loyalty.

This motif in the text is deliberately brought from the past to the present — as an explanation of why imperial policy is repeated “geography by geography,” regardless of the era.

At this point, the editorial NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency notes an important nuance for the reader in Israel: such historical frameworks in the Ukrainian discussion are often used not for academic purposes, but as a language of mobilization — to explain why compromise with the imperial project is perceived in Kyiv as a dangerous pause, not as peace.

Isolation and ideology of the “special path”

Another element that Lakomov associates with the Horde legacy is civilizational isolation: opposition to the West, distrust of law and freedoms, prioritization of “force” over rules.

In his description, the ideology of the “Russian world” acts as a hybrid — sacralization of power plus centralism plus rejection of modern individualism. Not by chance, but as a repeatable construction.

The column does not argue with opponents and does not try to be “soft.”

It states: empires do not disappear — they change language and packaging.

Ukraine, Israel, and the Global South: where a common plot arises

Why this is read more broadly than a “European war”

One of the strong lines of the text is the attempt to “translate” the Ukrainian experience into a language understandable to the countries of Africa and Asia: Ukraine is formally European, but its historical experience, according to the author, is colonial.

Not Britain and not France, but an empire that grew out of the Horde type of control.

In this framework, the idea of solidarity appears: between those who experienced colonialism as modernization and those who experienced it as degradation — destruction of institutions, resource extraction, suppression of subjectivity.

For Israel, there is a separate interest here: the country lives in a region where “imperial” models of behavior constantly return in a new form — through proxies, ideologies, military chains of influence. And therefore, any understandable explanatory schemes quickly become part of the public conversation, even if they are controversial.

Memory as an element of political resistance

Lakomov’s final thought revolves around memory.

Not as a museum theme, but as a practical tool: if an empire knows how to transform, then resistance begins with recognizing familiar mechanisms — verticality, sacralization, “right of force,” colonial language.

In this construction, Ukraine is shown not only as an object of pressure but as a “mirror” in which the colonizer sees its own model — and therefore tries to destroy the alternative.

The text leaves an open question, which is probably the main one: if the Horde matrix is indeed reproduced for centuries, then where is the boundary between reforming the imperial project and its next disguise — and who in the world is ready to name this boundary aloud.

Those who claim that “Israel is not obliged to help Ukraine” and that “every country has its own interests” should remember the consequences of such thinking at the Evian Conference, held from July 5 to 16, 1938.

The fates of European Jews, whom the Third Reich had already deemed “subhumans,” were on the agenda.

In July 1938, U.S. President Roosevelt convened an international conference to promote and finance the emigration of “political refugees.”

But Hitler, before the ovens of Auschwitz began operating, offered the world community to take the Jews and watched with interest to see how it would end.

Representatives from 32 countries participated in the conference. These were countries from Western Europe (Hungary was the only representative from Eastern Europe), North and South America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, 24 Jewish and international humanitarian organizations, including the Joint, the Jewish Agency, and the World Jewish Congress, sent their delegates to Evian.

The situation at the start of the conference was previously described by Chaim Weizmann:

“The world is divided into two parts – those places where Jews cannot live, and those where they cannot go.”

None of the countries participating in the Evian Conference were to be forced to increase their immigration quotas – it was solely about voluntary agreement to accept more Jewish refugees.

However, Switzerland, strictly maintaining neutrality, refused to host the conference, so it was held in France. Due to the annexation of Austria in March 1938, the number of potential Jewish victims of the Nazi regime significantly increased. Many Jews had already been expelled from Germany and Austria, and now Jews from Czechoslovakia were in danger.

The conference participants expressed sympathy for the suffering Jews but made no commitments. The U.S. did not want to increase immigration quotas due to anti-Semitic sentiments in Congress and fears of job competition. Britain could not accommodate refugees on its territory, and Eretz-Israel was excluded due to the Arab uprising.

Some countries stated they had already accepted as many as they could, while others refused due to the economic crisis and unemployment. As a result, only the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica agreed to accept refugees, although only about 500 people ended up in the Dominican Republic.

Israeli leaders of the time, Chaim Weizmann and David Ben-Gurion, were also against Jews entering Western countries. They hoped that restricting entry to other countries would force Britain to open Jewish emigration to Palestine.

The outcome of the conference quite suited Hitler, who sarcastically remarked:

“I hoped that the world, which feels such deep sympathy for these criminals [Jews], would at least be generous enough to turn this sympathy into practical help.”

The refusal to accept Jews was considered a grand victory for the German propaganda machine.

Golda Meir, who was at the forum, later described the events in her book “My Life”:

“I was there in the strange capacity of a ‘Jewish observer from Palestine’ and even sat not with the delegates but in the hall, although the refugees in question belonged to my people, to my family, and were not an unwanted number to be squeezed into a quota if at all possible.

It was a terrible thing – to sit in a luxurious hall and listen to the delegates of thirty-two countries explain in turn that they would like to accept a significant number of refugees but, unfortunately, are unable to do so.”

In an interview with journalists, Golda Meir added:

“I want to see only one thing before I die: that my people no longer need expressions of sympathy.”

The Evian Conference, which took place in July 1938, had serious consequences for the Jewish population of Europe. Not wanting to exacerbate their internal problems and fearing confrontation with the Nazi regime, the civilized international community failed to save millions of people, only postponing a world war indefinitely. Less than six months after the conference, Kristallnacht occurred, resulting in many Jews being killed, others arrested, and sent to concentration camps.

The historical lesson that can be drawn from the events of the Evian Conference should be taken into account by NATO in 2023. It is especially important to understand that the desire to avoid expanding the conflict when war is already underway can lead to a global conflict. NATO is currently providing material and tactical assistance to Ukraine but is not opening a second front against Russia.

Russian experts gleefully noted that the NATO summit communiqué paid little attention to Ukraine, with no clear promise of further material and financial support. They question whether only Ukraine has been “abandoned” or if it faces an even harsher fate in a world war.

Those who claim that Israel is not obliged to help Ukraine and that every country has its own interests should remember the consequences of such thinking at the Evian Conference. The Netherlands, London, France, Belgium, the USA, and other countries suffered damage from Nazi Germany.

This conference was recognized as a shameful page in Western history and serves as a lesson that by rejecting people in distress, states bring trouble upon themselves.

However, the Israeli government has not yet learned the lessons from the history of its people.

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Evian Conference – Material from Wikipedia — the free encyclopedia

On December 16, 2025, in Kyiv, at the Institute of World History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, an International Scientific Conference “Peculiarities of the Formation of Holocaust Scientific Discourse in European Countries“ took place. The forum brought together historians, memory researchers, representatives of the academic community, and international organizations working to preserve the historical truth about the Catastrophe of European Jewry.

The conference became part of a broader process of rethinking the role of the Holocaust in modern European and world historical science — especially against the backdrop of new political challenges, attempts to revise history, and growing interest in national models of historical memory.

How the scientific conversation about the Holocaust is changing in Europe and the world

One of the central topics of discussion was the theoretical and methodological foundations of Holocaust research in the 21st century. Participants analyzed how the modern scientific and socio-political discourse of memory is formed in Western Europe, North America, Israel, and Eastern Europe.

Special attention was paid to the differences in research approaches. While Western schools of historical science have traditionally focused on the institutional mechanisms of Nazi extermination policies, Eastern European studies increasingly raise questions of local experience, regional memory, and the consequences of totalitarian regimes for post-war society.

Sources of memory and the role of international justice

During the plenary session, key sources for studying the Holocaust were discussed — archival documents, oral testimonies of survivors, court materials, and international research conducted in Ukraine, the USA, Poland, France, Switzerland, and the UK.

A separate block of discussions was devoted to the impact of international justice on preserving the memory of the victims of Nazi terror. Experts emphasized that the legal assessment of 20th-century crimes remains an important tool against historical denial and political manipulation of the past.

It is precisely such scientific platforms that form a sustainable space for historical dialogue, which is regularly written about by NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, drawing attention to the connection between Ukrainian, European, and Israeli experiences in preserving the memory of the Holocaust.

Babi Yar as a symbol of the struggle for historical truth

One of the notable presentations at the conference was the report by Vladislav Grinevich, regional manager of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter (UJE) in Ukraine and a graduate student at the Department of World History at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University.

His research was dedicated to resisting the Soviet policy of silencing the tragedy of Babi Yar — one of the key symbols of the Holocaust in Eastern Europe.

The report was based on a historiographical analysis of the collective monograph “Babi Yar: History and Memory”, prepared by an international group of researchers with the support of UJE. Work on the book began back in 2015 as part of the preparation for the 75th anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy, held in Kyiv in September 2016.

The value of the publication lies not only in the international composition of the authors — scientists from Ukraine, Canada, the Netherlands, the USA, Israel, and France. The main result was an attempt to form a specifically Ukrainian view of the history of Babi Yar as part of the pan-European tragedy of the 20th century.

The study emphasizes an important historical thesis: responsibility for the tragedy was considered in the context of the actions of two totalitarian systems — the Nazi and Stalinist regimes. Although Nazi Germany was the immediate organizer of the Holocaust, the political processes that led to the war accelerated the catastrophe of European Jewry.

The voice of a witness: the speech of Boris Zabarko

A special place in the program was occupied by the speech of Boris Zabarko — a well-known Ukrainian historian, Holocaust researcher, and former ghetto prisoner, whose personal biography is directly connected with the tragic events of World War II.

For decades, Zabarko has been collecting testimonies of survivors — former ghetto and Nazi concentration camp prisoners, war children, and witnesses of the destruction of Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. His works have become an important part of international Holocaust research, as they bring back into historical science the voices of people long excluded from the official Soviet historical narrative.

The historian’s speech combined academic analysis and personal experience of the tragedy. For conference participants, it was a reminder that the study of the Holocaust goes far beyond a scientific discipline and remains a moral obligation of modern society.

International cooperation and the future of memory research

The conference in Kyiv demonstrated the growing integration of Ukrainian Holocaust studies into the global scientific context. Participants emphasized the need for further international cooperation, exchange of archives, joint publications, and educational programs.

A symbolic moment of the event was the presentation by Vladislav Grinevich of books published with the support of UJE to Boris Zabarko — a distinguished figure in science and technology of Ukraine, former prisoner of the Sharhorod ghetto, and long-time chairman of the All-Ukrainian Association of Jews — former prisoners of ghettos and Nazi concentration camps.

Such scientific meetings confirm: the memory of the Holocaust remains not only a part of the past but also an important element of modern European identity. The study of the tragedy, preservation of testimonies, and open academic dialogue become key conditions for preventing the repetition of crimes by totalitarian regimes in the future.