Two years have passed since the full-scale invasion of independent Ukraine by Russian occupation troops began on February 24. Throughout this ongoing conflict, the NADAV Foundation and the ANU Museum have been actively involved, hosting numerous events to gather humanitarian aid and donations for the Ukrainian people.
In Israel, this year has also been marked by a war in Gaza.
To address these pressing issues, the ANU Museum and the NPO “Israeli Friends of Ukraine”, with support from the NADAV Foundation, organized a public event “Between Two Wars”. This event brought together military analysts, political experts, and representatives from the civilian sector to discuss the current state of affairs. Additionally, a roundtable discussion titled “Beyond the Headlines: The Creation and Use of Narratives During War and the Impact of Disinformation and Propaganda on Public Perception” was held at the ANU Museum on February 20. The panel featured former Ukrainian Minister of Defense Aleksei Reznikov, Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk, and Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky.
The guests were also invited to visit the newly opened exhibition at ANU “October Seventh”. The exhibition curates works by 25 artists whose creative activity reflects the atrocious times Israeli society is facing since October 7th. Some of them are living artists, some deceased – either murdered on October 7th or died during the ongoing war, while others are residents (or former residents) of the southern areas, who suffered the loss of their loved ones, their homes, or whose families were affected by the horrors of the massacre.
The following day, a screening of the war film “Shalom Ukraine” by Israeli comedian Ilya Axelrod took place. Axelrod personally traveled to Ukraine to capture footage of the wartime experiences of Ukrainian cultural figures and comedians, showcasing how Ukrainian society’s attitude towards Russia has changed since the full-scale invasion. All proceeds from ticket sales for these events were donated to support victims of the wars in Ukraine and Israel.
In light of the current situation in Israel, where the civilian population is under attack and the country is defending itself against terrorism and its allies, the history of the Ukrainian war and the lessons learned from it may be more relevant than ever.
*Photos by Yael Ilinsky
