Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Tuesday night stressing that he rejects efforts by a member of his cabinet to help convicted sex offender Rabbi Eliezer Berland appeal his ban on entering Ukraine imposed in 2022 for statements he made about Russia's invasion.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that he "rejects the request regarding Eliezer Berland's entry into Ukraine and he clarifies that the Israeli government does not stand behind this request." Channel 12 News reported on Monday that ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem Affairs Minister Meir Porush was trying to help Berland get permission to reach Uman for the Jewish New Year in mid-September.
Traditionally, thousands of Israelis travel to the city of Uman in Ukraine for the high holiday season to pray and to celebrate at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslow, who died there in 1810. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine and despite warning by Israeli authorities not to travel there, Breslow Hassidim tried to reach Uman last year, but got stuck at the border. Israeli authorities have been in contact with those in Ukraine and in Moldova to facilitate the pilgrimage to Uman, though the Israeli Foreign Ministry has been advising people not to travel to the region for security reasons.
Over the years, Jewish pilgrimage to Uman has become a delicate issue in Israel’s relations with Ukraine. While the arrival of thousands of tourists to the city brings revenues for the local tourism industry, there have been many complaints about the pilgrims' behavior, including vandalism and disorderly conduct.
