Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuheld this thursdayThis is the first official communication with the president of Ukraine in eight months. Volodymyr Zelenskyand asked him this month to help facilitate the entry of thousands of devout Jews into Ukraine for their annual pilgrimage.
“Two leaders met”Continuing Israeli aid to Ukraine“Promote development assistance for civil air defense systems in Israel, including Ukrainian refugees,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu also stressed that everything possible must be done. To guarantee the arrival of the Jews in Uman this year In order to facilitate freedom of worship,” statements were added.
Every year, thousands of Jews make a pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman next to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslev to celebrate the Jewish New Year. A new controversy that emerged after the increase Deportation of Ukrainians Those trying to enter Israel with a tourist visa in recent months.
Given this situation, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, has threatened to block Israelis from entering the European country during this holiday unless the Jewish state reverses 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 repeatedly expressed its displeasure at Israel’s stance.
The Israeli government provided humanitarian aid and defense equipment to Ukraine, but did not provide offensive weapons, as Zelensky had requested, largely because it did not create hostility to Russia.
Moscow is Israel’s strategic partner in the conflict in SyriaRussia supports Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government and allows the Israeli army to attack militant positions of Iran or its allies in Tehran, the main enemy of the Jewish state in the region.