And of course, there is the historical justification for Russia's invasion. In a speech leading up to the war, Putin said that Ukraine never had a "tradition of genuine statehood," and that the country today is a fiction created by the Bolsheviks when they established the Soviet Union. In an essay published last year, the Russian president claimed that Ukraine is an "anti-Russian project."

This, too, sounds like a replica of Israel's claims about Palestinian nationalism. Israeli leaders have repeatedly claimed that the sole purpose of the Palestinian national project is to harm Israel, while denying the existence of the Palestinian people or collective identity.

The Israeli right is particularly connected to these kinds of arguments. It is no coincidence that Gershon HaCohen -- a reserve general in the Israeli army turned right-wing commentator -- has suggested that Israel ought to directly support Putin. "Kyiv is the birthplace of Russia. Kyiv for Putin is like Bethlehem and Hebron," he said in a recent interview. The logical conclusion is clear: Russia is liberating Kyiv, Israel is liberating Hebron.