"Ukraine will receive Hasidic pilgrims, but only along with Israeli air defense Systems"- Ambassador

These insights were shared by Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel, Yevhen Korniichuk, during an interview with "Radio Svoboda," as relayed by ua.news.

He noted that in a month, Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year - will begin, and Hasidic pilgrims will try to come to Uman. Therefore, during this time, the suspension of the visa-free regime with Israel is possible.

The Ukrainian side cannot guarantee safety from rockets and drones.

Additionally, a significant number of rescuers, law enforcement officers, and military personnel would have to be diverted from their tasks, which is impractical in times of war unless Israel provides Ukraine with air defense systems for protecting the Hasidic pilgrims.

According to the ambassador, an open dialogue is currently underway with the Israeli government: "The embassy insists that if for some reason you don't want to allocate air defense systems, sell them to protect Ukrainian civilians, perhaps you'll want to protect your own? That's logical."

Another factor for the suspension, as mentioned by the ambassador, is the increasing number of Ukrainians deported from Israel. This is already being addressed by the highest political leadership. Korniichuk explained that any citizen who arrives in Israel with a Ukrainian passport has their documents confiscated, they are made to wait for an interview in a separate room for at least 5-10 hours, and then 10% of Ukrainian citizens are turned away and deported without explanation. The Ukrainian ambassador emphasized that last year the entry refusal statistics were 2-4%, but this year it has risen to 10%.

Earlier, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel, Yevhen Korniichuk, called on official Jerusalem to refrain from canceling medical insurance for refugees from Ukraine.