Israel: Ramat Gan's Herzl Street - a symbol of Russian-Ukrainian coexistence?

Herzl Street, located in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, might look like any other busy shopping area at first glance - but a much more complex reality lies behind it. 

Behind the stalls - almost all of which are run by Israelis of Russian or Ukrainian origin - a special, practically fraternal cohabitation has taken place. There, Ukrainians and Russians have always worked side-by-side in the food, telephone, jewelry, and ready-to-wear stores. But on February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the world - and this street - were turned upside down. This coexistence that seemed untouchable until then, well anchored in the daily life of these merchants, was shaken.

The war in Ukraine has had a very palpable impact on Herzl Street - where one would almost forget that one is in Israel. In some stores, you can find local products from both countries. The signs "we speak Russian" or "we speak Ukrainian" are almost everywhere. 

One year after the beginning of the war in Ukraine, i24NEWS met with merchants from Herzl Street who have been living in Israel for years and who agreed to talk about the limits of coexistence since the Russian invasion.

Sergei

In Sergei's grocery store, Russian and Ukrainian products are found on the shelves next to each other, as are the customers who shop in his store, which looks very similar to ones in their country of origin. 

Sergei moved to Israel from Ukraine more than 20 years ago and confesses that he feels the consequences of the war in Ukraine in his everyday life. He told i24NEWS: "There are topics that are better not to talk about; otherwise, it can quickly get out of hand.” 

When asked about his relations with the Russians in Israel, he assures: "I have Russian friends, of course, who support Ukraine. But that's not the case with everyone. And here, between us, we don't talk about the war or politics because it could really end badly.” 

"When the war broke out, we all talked about it, but we quickly stopped because it was too biased and there were different opinions. If we don't talk about it, everything is fine. But it's still sensitive. We have to be careful all the time, and with whom we talk. There is an atmosphere of mistrust that we didn't see before," he says.

Sergei claims to count as many Russians as there are Ukrainians among his clientele, but he explains that the war has changed things: "Before, I used to listen to the news in Ukrainian on the radio, but I had too many problems. It upset the Russian customers, so (now) I only put music in my store.”

He explained he laments the behavior of some Russians who openly declare they hate Ukrainian products and ask where the food comes from before paying for it, wanting to buy only Russian. 

"Ukrainians, on the contrary, want to consume only Ukrainian products to support Ukraine, but not out of hatred," says Sergei.

Despite his reservations about the future of the coexistence of the two peoples in Herzl Street, Sergei is sure of the war's outcome: Ukraine will win. It has the technical means and the ability to hold out over time. 

"It will be long, but we will win," he says confidently as two ladies call out to him in Ukrainian, asking to be served a few slices of pastrami.

Tania

A few feet away, a modern and spacious store catches the eye. There are fresh cheeses, a wide selection of wine, beautiful windows and a warm welcome. Tania, an Israeli of 23 years of Russian origin, welcomes a mixed Russian-Ukrainian clientele she serves with a good heart, despite the fact that she was a victim of racism. 

"The Ukrainians who moved to Israel this year, right after the war started in their country, made me pay the price - as if I was responsible. Even though I have been an Israeli citizen for two generations. My children were born here and soon I will be a grandmother,” said Tania. 

“They made me feel like a stranger in my own home, even though I have been living here for much longer than they have.”

"It's not easy," she continued. "Sometimes they refuse to talk to me because I'm of Russian origin." 

"They recognize the accent and immediately address my colleague in English. There has been a real attitude change of some Ukrainians. They greet me and address me in the same way as before, but this subject is still difficult to talk about because it is painful. And in Russia, we were raised to be restrained. We do not express our emotions in public.”

Alona

This is an idea shared by Alona, a florist in Israel for over 20 years. Taking advantage of the sun's rays to chat on the sidewalk with her Moldavian friend, Alona - originally from Moscow - struggles to deliver a few words. For her, discussing the coexistence between Russians and Ukrainians in Israel is not self-evident. She is very modest about her opinions and does not naturally debate on such topics.

"What I can tell you is: We are Israelis above all," she asserts. "I do not care whether so-and-so is Russian or Ukrainian, I look at the human being first, and sincerely we have no problems between us. Here, everyone works to earn a living and does not care what their neighbor thinks.”

"I don't feel any particular tension since the war broke out in Ukraine," she continued. "At the very beginning, we wondered among colleagues from which countries we came, then we discussed the news for two or three months, and everything returned to normal. I don't feel concerned about this war. I've been in Israel for so long.”

One year after the beginning of the fighting, the habits of this peaceful street have been forever disrupted for some for whom the Russian or Ukrainian identity is still very present. For others - very Zionist - their Israeli citizenship trumps everything else. 

Yet Herzl Street's fragile coexistence could still be in turmoil after the end of the war.