It is already February 2026. While the Israeli “winter” starts to fade, European lands remain frozen, much like the battle lines being held. As a former member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, I am familiar with the security reports that cross the desk from time to time. However, what is unfolding between Russia and Ukraine is no longer just a “security event” – it is a terrifying reality that should concern us all. We are witnessing the globalization of evil.
As we enter the fifth year of the Russia-Ukraine war, what began as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” has devolved into a bloody war of attrition, with over a million Russian casualties. This number is insane, but the real concern is who is replacing those fallen soldiers.
Reports from Kursk and Donbas are no longer rumors. Thousands of North Korean soldiers, “engineers” and warriors alike are on the battlefields. Kim Jong-un’s regime is not only supplying shells to Moscow, it is also supplying young cannon fodder. When Russian and North Korean soldiers fight for the same goal using Iranian drones, we are not merely seeing a local conflict: We are witnessing the potential rise of an “axis of evil” operating in tandem.
Israel must wake up
This is the point where the Israeli public, and especially Jerusalem’s decision-makers, must wake up. For years, Israel has tried to “walk between the raindrops,” treading carefully with Putin. We refused to provide defense systems to Ukraine, hoping Russia would remain a moderating force in Syria; today, reality is knocking at our door.
The strategic agreement between Russia and Iran from January 2025 was more than a symbolic gesture. We saw the consequences in June of that year, when tensions with Tehran reached their peak. Moscow may not have sent fighter jets to defend Iran, but it provided the diplomatic cover and technological know-how – and maybe even the economic backstop required to sustain them as well.
Russia of 2026 is no longer a proud superpower. It is a nation dependent on centralized autocracies like Iran and North Korea to survive. This dependence is dangerous for us. Every lesson learned in the Ukrainian snow – how to bypass Western defense systems, how to operate swarms of cheap drones, and how to integrate foreign forces – is being passed directly to Tehran, and from there to Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza.
Neutrality is not an option
As a lawyer, I observe the collapse of international systems. The UN is paralyzed, The Hague has become a political tool, and Western guarantees for Ukraine have been eroded by public exhaustion in Europe and the US. Ukraine is paying a bloody price for trading its strategic assets for worthless papers.
The lesson for us is clear: neutrality is dead. It is impossible to remain neutral toward an axis that views Israel and Ukraine as two sides of the same Western coin. Israel’s clear interest is to ensure Ukraine does not fall. A Russian victory, fueled by Iranian and North Korean assistance, would be a psychological and military boost to our direct enemies.
Unfortunately, Moscow has chosen its side, and it is the side of Tehran and Pyongyang. It is time for Israel to break its silence. Humanitarian aid and vague statements are no longer enough. We are at the threshold. As we have learned the hard way: When the bad unite, the good cannot afford to stand alone.
This is not just a fight for Kyiv: It is a fight for the 21st-century world order. Whether we like it or not, Israel is on the front lines.
The author is a former MK who served as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and an expert in global real estate investments.