Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday urged Israel to abandon its effort to maintain neutrality following Russia's invasion, saying the time had come for the Jewish state to firmly back his country.
Mr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, made the appeal during an address to Israeli lawmakers, the latest in a series of speeches by video-conference to foreign legislatures.
In remarks that at several points compared Russian aggression to the Holocaust, President Zelenskyy said that "Ukraine made the choice to save Jews 80 years ago."
"Now it's time for Israel to make its choice."
The comments came as the Ukrainian city of Mariupol suffered some of the heaviest bombardment since Russia launched its invasion, with many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped in the city with little if any food, water and power.
Some people who had underlying conditions and have suffered from stress of the recent weeks, have died as they could not receive medical help, Mariupol resident Andrei told Reuters as he was digging a grave for his neighbours in the middle of a street on Sunday.
"I hope there will be some sort of a reburial and this is just temporary," he said.
Some parts of the city are controlled by the Russian forces and some remain under Ukrainian control, so the residents whose relatives are in another district know nothing about the fate of their close ones.
Natalya, a local kindergarten worker said that her apartment was destroyed during the fighting and she does not know what to do next.
At least 902 civilians have been killed and 1,459 injured in Ukraine as of midnight local time on March 19, the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR) said on Sunday.
The dead are placed into a mass grave on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, as people cannot bury their dead because of the heavy shelling by Russian forces. Source: AAP / Evgeniy Maloletka/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has walked a careful diplomatic line since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.
Stressing Israel's strong ties to Moscow and Kyiv, Mr Bennett has sought to preserve delicate security cooperation with Russia, which has troops in Syria, across Israel's northern border.
Mr Bennett has held regular phone calls with Mr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a three-hour meeting with the Russsian president at the Kremlin on 5 March.
While Ukrainian officials have voiced appreciation for Mr Bennett's mediation, Mr Zelenskyy on Sunday implied that his efforts had proved to be a misstep.
"We can mediate between states but not between good and evil," the Ukrainian leader said.
People gather in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, to watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Sunday, 20 March, 2022. Source: AAP / Maya Alleruzzo/AP
'Nazi terminology'
Mr Zelenskyy, whose family lost relatives during the Holocaust, claimed the Kremlin had used "Nazi terminology" in characterising its objectives in Ukraine.
"The Nazis talked about a 'Final Solution' to the Jewish question," he said. "Now Moscow is talking about a final solution for Ukraine."
His comparison drew immediate criticism from some Israel officials, including Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel from the right-wing New Hope party.
"We cannot rewrite the history of the Holocaust, a genocide that was also committed on Ukrainian soil. This war is terrible, but comparing it to the horrors of the Holocaust and the Final Solution is outrageous," Mr Hendel tweeted, while also voicing support for Ukrainians.
Mr Zelenskyy has said he was not religiously raised, and he did not put his Judaism at the forefront of his presidential campaign.
But he has increasingly invoked his faith to rally support for Ukraine among Jews and within Israel, including through social media posts in Hebrew.
The Jewish state has not joined Western sanctions against Russia, but some members of its coalition government have voiced a tougher line than Bennett.
A protester in Habima Square holds a depiction of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tel Aviv, Israel, as people gather to watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Sunday, 20 March, 2022. Source: AAP / Maya Alleruzzo/AP
'Ashamed'
They include Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who has repeatedly condemned Russia's actions.
"I reiterate my condemnation of the attack on Ukraine and thank President Zelensky for sharing his feelings and the plight of the Ukrainian people," Mr Lapid said after the speech.
President Zelenskyy's appearance was also shown at Habima Square in central Tel Aviv, the scene of several recent anti-Russia rallies.
Ahead of the speech, Tel Aviv's left-wing Mayor Ron Huldai said Israeli neutrality was no longer tenable.
"Putting any political consideration aside, we are witnessing an event where it is clear what the bad and what the good is; who the aggressor is and who the assailant is," Mr Huldai said.
"There are moments when one cannot stay quiet; and today, now, is exactly one of these moments."
Watching the speech at Habima Square was 45-year-old Ukraine-born Victor Vertsner, who said he was "ashamed" by Israel's response.
"We're doing too little and doing it too late. We have to do more. We don't have the right to stand aside and watch, as Jewish people who lived through the Holocaust and who survived," he told AFP.
More than one million of Israel's 9.4 million residents have roots in the former Soviet Union.
Israel has provided humanitarian support to Ukraine but has so far rebuffed Kyiv's requests for military assistance.
