Ukraine today is, in many ways, following the path that Israel has taken over the 78 years of its existence, said the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine during a ceremony marking Israel’s Independence Day.
“There are few countries in the world that understand each other better than Israel and Ukraine. In recent years, air raid sirens have often sounded simultaneously in Israel and Ukraine,” the ambassador said, addressing representatives of the Ukrainian government, the diplomatic corps, and Israel’s partners in Ukraine.
According to him, Ukraine’s successes in developing defense technologies “cannot fail to impress.”
The diplomat noted that the past year has been difficult for both countries, particularly for bilateral relations.
“The relationship between our countries is very close and often resembles a family bond. As in any family, difficulties sometimes arise, and we occasionally need the help of a ‘family therapist,’” he said.
The ambassador emphasized that in diplomacy, as in medicine, the principle of “do no harm” is crucial. According to him, during his nearly five years of service in Ukraine, he has strived to adhere to this principle.
In his speech, the diplomat also mentioned Golda Meir, who was born in Kyiv, and quoted one of her famous phrases: “Pessimism is a luxury that Jews can never afford.”
“Today, this applies equally to both Israelis and Ukrainians. I admire the resilience of our peoples, their ability to remain optimistic despite everything,” the ambassador noted.
He expressed confidence that, despite wars and terror, Israel and Ukraine will remain free and independent.
The diplomat also announced that his term in Ukraine is coming to an end in the near future.
“To say that this term has been special is an understatement. And yet, I regret only one thing: that peace has not come before the end of my work in Ukraine. I appeal to those on whom this depends: you still have three months. Now is the time to intensify these efforts,” he said.
The ambassador thanked the staff of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine for their work in preserving and developing Israeli-Ukrainian relations, as well as partners and organizations that support cooperation between the two countries, including Nativ, Keren Kayemet LeIsrael, Keren HaYesod, Keren HaYedidut, the Joint, and Sohnut.
He also expressed his gratitude to the participants in the organization of the gala evening, including Honorary Consuls Oleg Vishnyakov and Andriy Rykota, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Israel Ofer Kerzner, President of the Benish Group Haim Benesh, President of the Ukrainian Mineral Waters Corporation Hanna Kotlyarevska, and MTB Bank.
Israel celebrates Independence Day as the country’s main national holiday. In 2026, Israel will mark the 78th anniversary of the declaration of independence.
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the State of Israel were established on December 26, 1991, shortly after Ukraine’s declaration of independence. The Embassy of Ukraine in Tel Aviv began operations in October 1992, and the Embassy of Israel in Kyiv was opened in 1993. Since then, the countries have been developing political dialogue, humanitarian, cultural, and economic cooperation, as well as maintaining active ties between Ukrainian and Israeli societies.
Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky expects the growth of Israeli investments in the IT sector of Ukraine after the adoption of the law on Diia City. “I believe that after the adoption of the law on Diia City new investments may come to Ukraine. We are already talking about a deeper participation of Israeli capital, Israeli companies in the IT market in Ukraine, as there are prerequisites for this. Now, together with the entry into force of Diia City, a legislative and tax base is being created. Therefore, I think that this direction today is very promising,” he told Interfax-Ukraine in an exclusive interview.
According to him, services related to the IT sector may also be included in the updated free trade agreement (FTA), the preparation of which will start in 2022.
“The IT sector is one of the main sectors of cooperation between Israel and Ukraine in recent years, as over half of the outsourcing of the Israeli high-tech today falls on Ukraine,” he said.
The ambassador also said “in Ukraine, there are 30,000 or 40,000 programmers for Israeli companies.”
“In other words, imagine that each of these programmers earns on average $3,000 to $4,000 a month at least, or even much more. But even if we take the minimum wages, it turns out that multiply 30,000 or 40,000 by $3,000 is the Israeli contribution to the Ukrainian economy, the contribution of Israeli companies,” Brodsky said.
On the other hand, according to him, “this is a Ukrainian contribution to the economy of our country, since Israel is sorely lacking in programmers.”
“Israeli high-tech is the locomotive of our economy. Income to the state treasury from high-tech is one of the most serious components of the Israeli national budget today. Therefore, if there are people in Ukraine who can help Israeli companies to fulfill their task, then that is great. This brings our countries closer together, and this is an absolutely mutually beneficial situation,” Brodsky said.
According to him, this direction is one of the basic in Ukrainian-Israeli cooperation, along with agriculture, irrigation and medicine. Brodsky said the company Netafim, which develops projects and sales of Israeli technologies in drip irrigation.
“Representatives of several Israeli companies recently visited the regions, and we hope that there will be a continuation, as the topic is relevant for both countries. We feel interest from Ukraine, the president spoke about this when he met our president here,” he said.
