It should be obvious that supporting Israel, Ukraine and the people of Iran is the right thing to do. Why, then, are so many so compromised?
Following the Russian invasion, support for Kyiv in the UK was unequivocal – but this instinct was not universal Credit: Alberto Pezzali/AP
Jake Wallis Simons is a columnist, broadcaster and foreign correspondent. He presents The Brink podcast with the former parachute regiment officer Andrew Fox.
His new book, Never Again? How the West betrayed the Jews and Itself, was published in October 2025, becoming an instant bestseller and New Statesman book of the year.
A former editor of the Jewish Chronicle, Jake has reported from all over the world for the Daily Mail, The Telegraph and the BBC, presented numerous documentaries for Radio 4 and the World Service and appeared regularly on From Our Own Correspondent.
Published 18 April 2026 4:31pm BST
Some moral questions are vexed. Assisted dying, say, or the limits of free speech. Other dilemmas are more straightforward, and foremost among these is the fight against tyranny.
Or it should be. Recent years have posed repeated ethical challenges which require us to draw upon our most basic values for a courageous response. Yet we can’t seem to get it together.
The era of decadence that began with the dissolution of the Soviet Union ended when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Which side was deserving of our support was an easy judgment. On the one hand, a corrupt and authoritarian bully in the Kremlin was using his muscle to advance an imperial erotic fantasy; on the other, a free society was fighting for its life after doing nothing to provoke its neighbour.
The outrage was obvious. Ukraine had relinquished the world’s third-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the Nineties, in exchange for security assurances from the United States, Britain and Russia. Now hundreds of civilians were being raped, tortured and summarily executed in Bucha, a pretty riverside city north-west of Kyiv.
In Britain, support was unequivocal. Across the country, the blue-and-yellow banner fluttered in cities, towns and villages. Yes, there was some displacement going on – finally there was a flag we were allowed to fly! – but this was also a genuine outpouring of love. More than 300,000 Ukrainians have since been offered sanctuary, many in private homes.
This instinct, however, was hardly universal across the West. The election of Donald Trump marked the upending of two bedrocks of America’s political identity: a distrust of Russia and the cherishing of principles over power. Suddenly, we were thrown into a world where the White House had no problem with fascists so long as there was a deal to be made.
The withdrawal of some American aid and the pausing of intelligence sharing led to artillery imbalances, air defence gaps and stalled offensives. We will never know how many thousands of Ukrainians died as a consequence, but one detail says it all: Vladimir Putin is probably the only major world leader that Trump hasn’t mocked or insulted.
Then there was October 7. If anything, the morality should have been even clearer, given that the jihadis of Hamas were of a piece with those who had attacked concert halls, Tube trains and cafés in Britain and across the West. Yet rather than seeing Israeli flags flying from every lamppost, we endured the disgraceful spectacle of people celebrating the pogrom in London less than 24 hours afterwards.
There followed a vicious propaganda campaign, driven by our enemies and embraced by international organisations and the media, which sexed up the war until it was inaccurately labelled a “genocide”. Millions of gullible people were swept up. Supporters of Israel – a democracy fighting for its life – became a dying breed. Once Trump entered the White House, however, there was little doubt which side he was on.
The moral certainty that deserted the president over Ukraine was suddenly there in spades. While European powers concluded it was best to reward Hamas by recognising a Palestinian state, Trump remained stalwart: jihadism was the enemy. Through the sheer force of his conviction, the hostages were freed and the war ended.
Which brings us to Iran. Although this is a regime that is believed to have butchered more than 30,000 people in two days, sows terror around the globe, lusts after nuclear weapons and is driven by apocalyptic theological fantasies, its fans have marched in our cities. Commentators, meanwhile, pay lip service to condemning Tehran while their true passions only gush forth when it comes to willing the downfall of Trump.
What is going on? Well, it’s all about the culture war. No crisis, it seems, is too grave to be bastardised by moral weaklings for petty politics. While Putin becomes some anti-woke folk hero, at the other end of the spectrum, the Ayatollah is given a glow-up as an icon of progressivism.
The problem is, one day we’ll need that ethical instinct we’re frittering away. Look to those with their lives on the line. Ask Ukrainians what they think of Israel. Ask Israelis what they think of Ukraine. Ask the Iranian people what they think of both countries, and ask them all what they think of the regime. Any questions?
Comment from :
Bill Maalsen
Finally, an article that puts it in a nutshell.
Ftang Ftang
The IRGC are degenerate kleptocrats running a gangster regime with cover and in partnership with degenerates clerics preaching the worst extremities of their religion. This is not the Islam whimsy of Omar Khayam.
80% of the country of Iran loathes these people for being a bloody sucking Octopus wrapped around their face.
Stands to reason that Brits brain-washed for years fall suicidally for this.
It’s pathetic and won’t be forgotten by the Persians when they get through this I am told repeatedly.
What will silly old Britain make of this new world order?
Damian Gavaghan
You should not conflate Ukraine with US and Israel of late. Israel’s levelling of Gaza was wrong although I utterly condemn 100% what was done to Israel on October 7. The US were the ‘good guys’ but it is they who lost their moral compass firstly by turning Ukraine into a real estate deal and appeasing Putin the aggressor. Secondly US launched their surprise attack on Iran and though they won the initial battle are unable to to finish the job, inflicting massive economic damage on allies. Trump’s justification is to then tell allies to buy American oil and gas at prices artificially inflated by him. I fear Trump will seek revenge for Europe’s collective failure to help him beat Iran but sadly it was not a NATO war but American and Israeli.
Peter Manning
Trump is a traitor to the west. He hero worships Putin.
Graham Boyd
Of course Trump is also acting against the will of the American people, the majority of whom support sending munitions to Ukraine. His worshipping of Putin is odd.
The Iranian people deserve our support, Trump has gone about it in the wrong way, appearing far more interested in oil than in the people.
Israel just wants to stay alive, like Ukraine, battling against states that openly declare their desire to destroy it.
Mark Roberts
Jake, I have agreed with much of what you have said in the past. The difference here is that Ukraine was attacked and Israel was attacked. Therefore support for military action can be gained as a legitimate response. Iran is an evil, vicious regime. No one is sad about the death of its Ayatollah. But can you simply attack governments that are dangerous? Is North Korea next? Ultimately China?
Jake Roycroft
Ukraine and Israel are not in the same boat – they are the precise opposites.
Ukraine is fighting against an aggressive warmongering pariah state.
Isreal is an aggressive warmongering pariah state.
C E Mattison
Zionism means the right of the Jewish people to self determination. It’s not evil. And it was born out of persecution. The Israeli state would prefer not to be subject to attacks from its neighbours and to live in peace.
And what does Israel export to the world?! Not just humus, avocados and oranges! Technology , medicines, arts, literature,sports, music, fashion, science. Your mobile wouldn’t work without their inventions, Waze, the list is endless.
Steven Lowe
The usual, intentionally inaccurate, strawman. One can support Israel and its people, but not Netanyahu and his government. Many in Israel itself hold to this view. Likewise, one can support the Iranian people but believe that what Trump is doing does not help them in any way whatsoever (and indeed regime change and helping them is now off his agenda). As for Ukraine, it’s trump’s relationship with Putin that’s the issue, not popular support.
Peter Holloway
Putin annexed Crimea in 2014 – when Obama was in power; Putin then launched a full scale military invasion of Ukraine 2022 when Biden was in power.
And what has Europe done – precious little, although Boris did try to persuade Europe to help in 2022; and now Europe has sort of agreed a coalition of those willing to manage a ceasefire line pretty much allowing Putin to keep all his conquests in perpetuity – while Europe blames Trump.
It’s hardly surprising that Trump is prepared to leave Europe to the Europeans – after all, we’ve mostly been refusing his pleas of the last decade to increase our military capacity and hold up our end of NATO – and Europe doesn’t accept Ukraine as a NATO issue anyway – so why should Trump do it for us?
Matt Forster
The war in Ukraine is the clearest case of right and wrong in my lifetime. It is impossible not to wholeheartedly support Ukraine and hate and condemn Putin’s Russia.
In the case of Israel it’s important to distinguish between the State of Israel and the Netanyahu government. The State of Israel is sacred and its continued existence is of paramount importance, not just as a Jewish homeland but as an outpost of democracy and free speech in a region where these values are lacking.
The Iranian regime is a vile combination of religious fanaticism and totalitarian police state. It would have been better if the Iranian people overthrew their oppressors. Trump’s war is unfortunately not likely to achieve long term peace and stability. That would have required a full-scale invasion.
Norman Peasant
Great article. Decadence from materialism, socialism and consumerism has truly rotted our moral fibre. I’d argue it is rooted in the decline of self confident Christianity.
And well done for calling out Trump on Ukraine.
Israel isn’t perfect – but no one is -and it’s light years better than its enemies.
And how anyone can support the mullahs is beyond me.
Some very interesting comments.
“The withdrawal of some American aid and the pausing of intelligence sharing led to artillery imbalances, air defence gaps and stalled offensives. We will never know how many thousands of Ukrainians died as a consequence, but one detail says it all: Vladimir Putin is probably the only major world leader that Trump hasn’t mocked or insulted.”
Putler just unleashed a savage mass murder attack on innocent Ukrainians right across their land.
The response of Krasnov was to give putler multiples of $billions to enable him to murder yet more Ukrainian children.
That’s a clear case of being an accessory to mass murder/genocide.
“The era of decadence that began with the dissolution of the Soviet Union ended when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine.”
No, decadence has not ended. It is still alive and thriving, especially in the Washington. And the word “decadence” is too harmless when you speak about a president and his cabinet that side with a vicious, blood-thirsty war criminal and makes only demands on his victim.
Speaking of Iran…
Trump Says U.S. Officials Will Travel to Pakistan for Talks
Vice President JD Vance will again lead the U.S. delegation for talks mediated by Pakistan, a White House official said. There was no immediate comment from Tehran. The Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed.
President Trump told a Fox News reporter this morning that Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, were scheduled to travel to Pakistan this week for the latest round of talks. [So, nobody competent… -LM]
Breaking update:
Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported on Sunday that a second round of diplomatic talks in Islamabad had not yet been agreed to. The agency said that “excessive” and “unreasonable” expectations and the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports “have so far hindered progress in the negotiations.”
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/19/world/iran-us-war-trump-hormuz/heres-the-latest?smid=url-share
Trump says US Navy forcibly seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz
President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. military attacked an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to bypass the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA [ship] in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
“The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” he added.
Touska was transiting the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots toward Bandar Abbas, a port city in southern Iran. After U.S. forces issued “multiple” warnings and told the ship that it was breaching the U.S. blockade, the crew did not comply over a six-hour period and Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from its 5-inch MK 45 Gun into the engine room, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said on Sunday.
Trump said the ship was about 900 feet long and that the U.S. Marines have “full custody” of the ship, while noting that troops were “seeing” what’s on board the vessel.
Centcom said Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the vessel, a rapid-response unit, based in Japan, which recently arrived in the Middle East. The unit has about 2,500 Marines and sailors.
“The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity,” the president added in the post.
The Touska last broadcast its location more than six hours ago in the Gulf of Oman, according to MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking service.
The ship is under sanctions by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over its ties to Iran’s shipping lines.
The USS Spruance, an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, which was commissioned in 2011, is equipped with a variety of missiles, including Tomahawks, along with lasers, guns and torpedoes.
The move comes as U.S. military personnel potentially prepare to board other Iranian-linked ships in an effort to increase economic pressure on Iran to reopen the strait and agree to the administration’s terms for a longer-term ceasefire.
A current agreement has called for an end to the Strait of Hormuz’s closure, among other terms. However, on Sunday, Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by firing shots at a French ship and a freighter from the United Kingdom attempting to travel through the critical choke point.
Since the U.S.-imposed naval blockade went into effect in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. forces have directed 25 commercial ships to turn around or go back to Iranian ports, according to Centcom.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the waterway was “completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire” for all commercial ships. But a day later, a spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said the regime was resuming “strict” control over the strait in response to the ongoing U.S. naval blockade.
Vice President Vance, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are scheduled to participate another round of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, this week.
It follows failed talks two weeks ago that dissolved due to Iran’s push to maintain its nuclear program.
(From The Hill, via MSN)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-says-us-navy-forcibly-seized-iranian-flagged-cargo-ship-in-strait-of-hormuz/ar-AA21gi0m