Why is Russia the target of sweeping international sanctions – across trade, finance, diplomacy, and global cooperation—while similar measures are not applied to Israel? Why is Russia banned from international sports competitions and the Eurovision Song Contest, yet Israel is not?
These questions are occasionally raised in certain corners of the political Left, but they often stem from emotional reactions rather than a grounded, analytical approach. When we examine the facts and moral foundations, the answer becomes clear. There are five fundamental distinctions between the two conflicts.
Who started the war?
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine – a sovereign nation that had not attacked Russia, posed no immediate threat, and had every right to its independence. The invasion was a deliberate move by the Kremlin, driven by goals of subjugation, control, and territorial expansion.
The Israel-Hamas War also had a definitive trigger. On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented terror attack on Israel, murdering over 1,200 civilians in their homes, on the streets, and at a music festival. Hundreds were taken hostage into Gaza. Israel responded only after it was attacked.
Russia is the aggressor. Hamas is the aggressor. Ukraine is the victim. Israel is the victim. A war of self-defense must be judged differently from a war of conquest and terror.
What is the goal of the war?
If Hamas were to lay down its arms, release the hostages, and stop the violence, the war would end. Israel would have no reason to remain in Gaza. There is no desire to reoccupy or permanently control the territory. Conversely, if Ukraine were to lay down its arms, it would cease to exist. Russia’s objective is to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state. Russia seeks destruction. Israel seeks protection.
How is the war being waged?
Russia’s warfare is indiscriminate as it systematically targets hospitals, residential buildings, power plants, and schools.
Hamas employs identical tactics. Civilians are kidnapped, rockets are launched at civilian areas, tunnels run under hospitals, and weapons are stored in schools. Civilians are not collateral, they are targets.
Israel, on the other hand, seeks to eliminate military threats while minimizing harm to civilians. It employs unprecedented warning methods: leaflets, text messages, and “roof knocking” techniques. Yet casualties still occur because Hamas hides among civilians. The human tragedy is undeniable, but the moral distinction is essential.
A just war
Hamas is recognized by the European Union, the United States, and many others as a terrorist organization with a genocidal ideology. Confronting such a threat is not just legitimate, it is necessary for the safety of civilians in Israel and the broader region. Israel’s actions are comparable to Western campaigns against terror groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda.
Russia is not fighting a just war. Ukraine is not a terrorist state. Russia’s attack is based on power politics, not self-defense.
Democracy vs dictatorship
Israel is a liberal democracy with free elections, an independent judiciary, a critical press, and active protest movements, even during wartime. Judges block legislation, the media scrutinizes military actions, and parliamentary oversight continues unabated. This is a country that deserves support.
Russia is an authoritarian regime. The press is muzzled, opposition silenced, and dissidents imprisoned, poisoned, or killed. The war is being waged by a dictatorship, using repression at home and lies abroad.
Comparing Israel to Russia fails the test of logic and morality. Russia wages a war of aggression. Israel defends itself. Russia aims to conquer. Israel’s aim is survival. Russia oppresses its citizens. Israel, against all odds, remains a democracy.
Sanctions are not symbolic gestures. They are tools to confront threats to the international legal order. This is why sanctions against Russia are justified – and those against Israel are not.
The writer is a member of the Belgian Parliament and a special envoy to the European Jewish Association.