Kyiv, Ukraine – At the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced support for Israel, while First Lady Olena Zelenska said Ukrainians understand and “share the pain” of the Israeli people.Billboards across Kyiv lit up the capital with Israeli flags.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe response reflected a position held by much of Ukrainian society and many Western leaders at the time.For some people straddling both identities, the early reactions were difficult to watch.‘Travelling as a Palestinian closes’ doorsHashem, a Gaza-born medical professional who obtained Ukrainian citizenship after nearly a decade living in the country, said the contrast in how Palestinians and Ukrainians are treated internationally has long been apparent.“Travelling as a Ukrainian opens doors; travelling as a Palestinian closes them,” he said, describing the stark difference in freedom of movement, visa access and public sympathy attached to each of his identities.“This is not a competition of suffering, but a question of principle. If human rights are truly universal, they cannot depend on nationality or passport,” said Hashem, who requested Al Jazeera withholds his surname. Citizens with foreign passports wait to travel through the Rafah crossing in November 2023, when a small number of foreign passport holders and seriously wounded were allowed to enter Egypt from Gaza [File: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images]A shifting view of IsraelHowever, as Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continued and developed into a genocide against Palestinians, some Ukrainians said public opinion gradually shifted. Advertisement Yuliia Kishchuk, a Ukrainian researcher who, along with 300 Ukrainian scholars, activists and artists, signed an open …
