Ties that bind: Palestinians in Ukraine grappling with grief on two fronts

Amir still remembers the “best months” of his life from 12 years ago. He was a 12-year-old teenager then, travelling to his ancestral land of Gaza with his parents.

Now 24, the Ukrainian of Palestinian origins is caught between two wars – one raging in his adopted country, Ukraine, and the other where his roots lie. And he grieves for both.

Amir – who wants to be identified only by his first name – is among 4,000 Palestinians who call Ukraine home – most of them are second-generation Ukrainian citizens. Many have never seen their ancestral land.

Yet, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza tugs at their heartstrings as they watch from afar the brutality unleashed by Israel on the hapless civilians in the coastal enclave.

Despite the evident contrast in death tolls and the intensity of bombings over four months – Gaza facing a concentrated impact versus Ukraine's prolonged two-year conflict – there persists a common thread of pain and suffering that unites both Palestinians and Ukrainians.

Both regions are witnessing civilian victims, including children, and attacks on essential infrastructure like schools and hospitals.

People like Amir, born and raised in Kiev, exemplify this dual perspective.

Amir’s father migrated from Gaza to Ukraine in the '90s as part of a Soviet-era program for Palestinians to study medicine in Ukrainian universities, married a Ukrainian woman and settled in the country.

Amir reflects on the challenges of grappling with concern for both his family in Ukraine and those enduring hardship in Gaza.

“It would be unfair for me to say that I live a safe life since life is not safe when missiles are flying overhead and people are dying,” he tells TRT World.

“Of course, not to the extent as it is happening in Gaza or not to the extent that is happening on the frontlines in Ukraine.”

This perspective from Amir encapsulates the complex emotions faced by those with deep-rooted ties to both countries, where the emotional burden remains palpable despite the disparities in the external perception of their respective struggles.

Gaza through Amir’s eyes

When Amir last visited Gaza 12 years ago, his parents and sister had first travelled to Egypt and crossed into the enclave through the Rafah border to meet their extended family —uncles, aunts, grandmother, grandfather and numerous cousins.

Amir looks back fondly on his childhood memories in Gaza, cherishing the time spent with his extensive family. As he spent time with his father’s siblings and several cousins, Amir picked up Arabic and even forgot some Ukrainian and Russian words he knew.

However, his cherished memories now stand in stark contrast to the grim reality. Israel’s relentless bombings have ravaged entire Gaza, claiming the lives of more than 28,000 people and injuring over 60,000 in just four months.

Amir lost one of his uncles during the Israeli assault and his family there now has sought refuge in the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

The once vibrant echoes of his childhood memories now contend with the harsh aftermath of conflict, leaving Amir to grapple with loss and a homeland forever altered.

Before October 7

Two years ago, when the Russian attack began against Ukraine, Amir’s family back home in Gaza was deeply concerned for their well-being.

Amir recounts, “After the war started, they were asking how is everything in Ukraine. Especially when I spoke to my grandmother, who has a very sensitive personality, she was quite worried. That’s why I kept her out of the main news and didn’t talk about the death toll in Ukraine.”

Up until October 7, Amir maintained regular communication with his uncles, aunts and grandmother through phone calls and video chats, reassuring them that he and his family were doing okay in Kiev.

However, due to frequent internet outages in Gaza, he can now only receive text messages from them, hoping for their safety and well-being.

Palestinians in Ukraine

Muhammed, a 27-year-old Palestinian-Ukrainian Muslim serving as a chaplain in the Ukrainian army, too is caught between the two wars. His father emigrated from Anata, a suburb of Jerusalem, to Donetsk in the ’90s, where Muhammed was born.

Having once worked for the Islamic Cultural Centre in Kiev, Muhammed’s life took a drastic turn when Russia launched the “special military operation” against Ukraine two years ago.

Muhammed, who has a journalism degree, found himself not just witnessing war from a distance but being thrust into its midst. In 2023, a mobilisation order turned him into a chaplain in the Ukrainian military.

Working from 8 to 6, Muhammed provides spiritual support for Ukrainian soldiers in a country where sirens and the constant threat of conflict have become a daily reality.

“I still feel anxiety when drones are launched, such as suicide bombers like Iran’s Shahed drones. For example, they are often sent to Odessa, where my parents, brothers and sisters currently live. While measures are being taken, supermarkets and public transport stop operating to avoid casualties,” he tells TRT World.

The tragedy cuts even deeper for those like Muhammed, with roots deeply embedded in both lands.

“Since I am Palestinian, I follow news from Palestine every single day as well, though my loved ones are no longer living in Gaza. My wife’s family, who are from Gaza, left a long time ago,” he says.

“But there are many close friends, brothers and sisters who live there. It is very painful for me to see this genocide taking place in our holy lands.”

Ukraine’s support for Israel

Ukraine’s stance on Israel has become a point of contention for individuals like Amir and Muhammed, who grapple with having a government aligning with Israel despite shared pain for their people in Ukraine and loved ones in Palestine.

The Ukrainian government displayed unwavering support for Israel during the recent bombing in Gaza, drawing criticism from the Palestinian community in the country. Zelenskyy, one of the first leaders to express support for Israel, even equated the Russian military with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

"In the face of such a terrorist strike, everyone who values life must stand in solidarity ... Israel has the full right to defend itself against terror," stated Zelenskyy shortly after the October 7 attack. Even the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, voiced understanding and “shared pain” with the Israeli people as Israeli flags lit up billboards across Kiev.

This stance marks a departure from Ukraine's decades-long support for Palestinian rights and condemnation of the Israeli occupation, as evidenced by its historical voting record in the UN.

Muhammed thinks that Ukraine’s support for Israel is due to the fear of losing military and material aid coming from Western countries.

“The Ukrainian government has this position due to political interests linked to the US. To receive military and material assistance from its allies. ”

In December, however, there was a notable shift as Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine’s recognition of the independence of both the Israeli and Palestinian people, as well as the tragedy ongoing in the region and its humanitarian consequences.

Public opinion in Ukraine

A majority of Ukrainians — 69 per cent — say that they feel solidarity with Israelis when attacked by Palestinians, compared with only one per cent who feel solidarity with the Palestinians, a new poll has revealed. The poll was conducted from November 29 to December 9 by the Institute of Sociology in Kiev at the request of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine.

Mohammed’s observations align with the poll as he believes that Ukrainian people mostly support Israel.

“The majority of Ukrainians are supporting Israel. It is because of insufficient, and at times unreliable, information about Palestine. And it’s hard to work with, but we try to illuminate the history of the conflict and the essence.” Muhammed says.

Amir also underscores this unreliable and insufficient information about Palestine circulating among the Ukrainian public.

He adds that the older generation, who get their information from conventional media, such as newspapers and TV, mostly rely on what the government says.

The younger generation, he thinks, is confused about the Palestinian cause as they mostly follow social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Telegram, which are full of disinformation and misinformation.

Both Amir and Muhammed try to educate their family and friends circle of Ukrainians around them about the Palestinian cause. “And it’s hard to work with, but we try to illuminate the history of the conflict and the essence,” says Muhammed.

Amir mentions that his Ukrainian friends, doubting the bias of the circulating news and social posts about Israel and Palestine, call him and ask him about the truth behind it. “I explain the whole situation of Palestine. Now, they know it's from the beginning. I've explained to them, and they understand Israel’s actions are simply unjust, and they are aware of this.”

However, the continuous flow of images depicting death and destruction in Gaza has prompted some Ukrainians to openly criticise their government’s pro-Israel stance.

In November, more than 300 Ukrainian scholars, activists, and artists expressed solidarity with Palestinians in an open letter, emphasising the right to self-determination and resistance against Israel’s occupation.

Drawing parallels to Ukrainians resisting Russian attacks, the letter signalled a growing dissent.

“We call on the international media to stop pitting Palestinians and Ukrainians against each other, where hierarchies of suffering perpetuate racist rhetoric and dehumanise those under the attack. We have witnessed the world uniting in solidarity for the people of Ukraine and we call on everyone to do the same for the people of Palestine,” the letter said.