Are we talking about something from The Onion? No, it's actually rather splendid news, genuine if improbable—sounding.

The Cossacks of Ukraine, who, as the czar's storm troops, historically terrorized Russia's Jews confined to the Russian Pale of Settlement, have now come out publicly in support of Israel. Cossacks met with Israeli officials and said they planned a solidarity mission with the Jewish state. According to the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, they say they now want to stand up for Israel in its fight against terrorism.

That's a breath of fresh air, not only compared to their historical record, but compared to the cowardliness of most nation states who are content to let Israel do their terror—fighting for them, without so much as a word of support. Cossacks, for all their czarist history, are brave, direct soldier people of the steppes, so it's in character for them to understand clearly the concept of 'with us or against us.' It's likely that the experience of terrorism in the nearby south of Russia region, in places like Dagestan, Ossetia and Chechnya, has affected the new Cossack sentiment in favor of Israel, too.

Here's a snippet from the new alliance:

As a dean of a local higher—education institution, Mr. Schevchenko
aid his teaching staff was doing everything possible to explain to
their students the importance of supporting Israel as well as the
need to fight against anti—Semitism and national and religious
intolerance.

It's good to see the Cossacks standing up for Israel and against terrorism. Now, maybe other nations will follow them.

A.M. Mora y Leon   8 11 06   8:00 AM PDT