Ukraine's ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk called on the country’s leadership Sunday to stop turning away Ukrainian refugees. Korniychuk warned that if Israeli authorities do not change their policy, Ukraine will not allow Israeli pilgrims travel to the city of Uman for the upcoming Jewish New Year in September.
Korniychuk said in a statement, "The government of Ukraine will not tolerate humiliation of its citizens upon entering Israel. We will stop our bilateral visa waiver agreements as stipulated in Article 7 of the intergovernmental agreement. This possibility is on the table of our government."
The ambassador added, "It is unthinkable that we would have to go out of our way to host tens of thousands of Israelis in Uman, with a high security risk and with a huge logistical effort, when on the other hand the Israeli government mistreats our citizens who come to Israel as part of the treaty between our two countries. If Israel wants its citizens to be able to come to Ukraine as tourists, I believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should intervene, personally, in finding a solution to the current state of affairs."
The Times of Israel reported that according to the embassy's data, in 2022 Israel deported 2,705 Ukrainian citizens. In the first half of 2023, Israel deported as many as 2,037 Ukrainian citizens. The travelers reportedly had to sleep on the floor of the airport overnight before being put on a plane back home.
