Netanyahu and Zelensky discuss humanitarian aid and Jewish pilgrimage to Ukraine

2023-09-07 23:10:25

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahumaintained this ThursdayIt’s the first official communication in eight months with the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenskiand asked him to help facilitate the entry of thousands of religious Jews into Ukraine on their annual pilgrimage this month.

“The two leaders discussedn the continuation of Israeli assistance to Ukraineincluding Ukrainian refugees in Israel, as well as promoting assistance in the development of civilian air defense systems,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu also raised the need to do everything possible to guarantee the arrival of Jews to Uman this year in order to facilitate freedom of religion,” the text added.

The mention of the pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman, which thousands of Jews carry out year after year to celebrate the Jewish New Year next to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev, comes after A recent controversy sparked by an increase in deportations of ukrainians who tried to enter Israel during the last months with a tourist visa.

Given this, the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, threatened to block the entry of Israelis into the European country during this holiday if the Jewish State did not reverse its policy regarding the entry of Ukrainians into the country.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian Government has expressed its discomfort with Israel’s position on multiple occasions.

The Israeli Government provided humanitarian aid and defensive equipment to Ukraine, but did not provide it with offensive weapons, as Zelensky requested, largely to avoid antagonizing Russia.

Moscow is a strategic partner of Israel in the conflict in Syriawhere Russia supports the Syrian Government of Bashar al Assad, and allows the Israeli Army to carry out attacks against positions of militiamen from Iran or allies of Tehran, the main enemy of the Jewish State in the region.