Ukraine is Palestine, 60 years ago.

Ukraine is Palestine, 60 years ago.

I’m really glad that the world has come together with moral clarity to defend Ukraine and condemn Russia. Most of the people on the planet have correctly recognized that this is about standing up for justice and freedom.

It’s beautiful and righteous and powerful.

I wonder though. What would happen if…

1. Russia was to occupy Ukraine and essentially turn it into an open-air prison for 50 or 60 years.

2. The Ukrainians become increasingly desperate and are forced to resort to asymmetric warfare (roadside bombs, homemade rockets).

3. Every now and then the Ukrainians mount desperate attempts to make some kind of dent against their military oppressors with surges of violence.

4. Russia massively overreacts to any resistance by bombing huge swaths of Ukrain back to the Stone Age.

Would we all have the same moral clarity?

Would we call Ukrainians “freedom fighters” or “terrorists”? Would we have endless debates on Facebook about who started it?

Maybe some would argue that Ukraine was Russia’s spiritual homeland and they deserve to be there.

Maybe some would argue that the Ukrainians are terrorists and don’t deserve our sympathy.

Maybe some would argue that the Ukrainians should find a more peaceful way to get what they want.

Maybe some would call for normalizing relations with Russia.

Maybe Russia might develop clever narratives that make any criticism of their military policies an act of bigotry.

Maybe our moral clarity will turn to confusion, uncertainty, exhaustion, and silence.

In short, maybe, just maybe, it might look more like the Palestinian and Israeli “conflict”.