Higher Education Minister Zeev Elkin (Likud), who was appointed to a governmental committee on the Uman issue, announced on Thursday morning that Ukraine has issued its final official answer on the matter and is not allowing additional visitors to Uman to enter the country.
“Despite our great efforts to assist Israelis who tried to enter Ukraine through Belarus or Moldova, a final negative answer from the Ukrainian authorities arrived this morning,” Elkin stated. “The Ukrainians announced that they will not allow any entry through border crossings and no reduced delegations.”
“I call on our citizens to return to Israel and adhere to quarantine regulations upon your return. Shana Tovah.”
Thousands of chassidim have been waiting at the Belarus-Ukraine border due to rumors that Ukraine would allow them in. Ukraine and Belarus traded angry accusations on Wednesday over the cross-border issue.
Ukraine’s presidential office urged Belarusian authorities to stop issuing misleading signals to the Jews that they could eventually cross the border.
“We are asking Belarusian authorities to stop fueling the tensions on the border and refrain from spreading false encouraging statements that could leave the pilgrims with a feeling that the Ukrainian border might be opened,” it said. “Belarusian authorities have deliberately or unintentionally helped spread those rumors.”
Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz shot back at Ukraine, accusing it of “inhumane” treatment of the Jewish pilgrims.
Ukrainian authorities said about 2,000 Hasidic Jewish pilgrims converged on the border in hopes of crossing over and reaching the Ukrainian city of Uman.
Ukraine closed its borders in late August amid a surge in COVID-19 infections. Belarus, which shares a long border with Ukraine, hasn’t barred foreign visitors from entering.
As the Jewish pilgrims have gathered on the border, Ukraine has deployed additional forces to protect the frontier and sent aircraft and drones to patrol it.
Glaz, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman, accused Ukrainian authorities of being reluctant to find a solution and trying to shift blame.
“We persistently urge Ukrainian authorities to respect fundamental human rights, religious rights and internationally recognized norms and follow humanitarian principles,” he said.
Late Tuesday, the Belarusian government said it was offering to help Ukraine set up a “green corridor” for the pilgrims to get to Uman and back to Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s spokeswoman, Natalia Eismont, said Belarus was ready to provide buses to drive the pilgrims to Uman and back and make all the necessary precautions to prevent a spike in new infections.
Ukraine’s presidential office hinted that Belarusian authorities’ actions could be rooted in the latest tensions between the two neighbors following Belarus’ presidential election.
Ukraine has joined the United States and the European Union in criticizing the Aug. 9 vote in which Lukashenko extended his 26-year authoritarian rule as neither free nor fair and urged Belarusian authorities to end their crackdown on protesters.
In Wednesday’s speech, Lukashenko accused Ukraine of working in cahoots with the U.S. and its allies to foment the protests demanding his resignation.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)
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14 Responses
Upon return to Ben Gurion airport they should be taken to the nearest mental health facility for evaluation.
Because all Jews have Corona.
**BREAKING: Student Entry to Israel Abruptly Halted – NO PERMITS TO BE ISSUED
**Israel Police To Fine Anyone Traveling For Rosh Hashana
There are 2 headlines from this side. Does anyone fighting against these decisions? No. Why people fighting against Ukraine’s government decision to close their borders?
**BREAKING: Student Entry to Israel Abruptly Halted – NO PERMITS TO BE ISSUED
**Israel Police To Fine Anyone Traveling For Rosh Hashana
There are 2 headlines from this site. Does anyone fighting against these decisions? No. Why people fighting against Ukraine’s government decision to close their borders?
What is there about “NO” they don’t understand? Every day this chilul hashem goes on, it affirms the anti-Semitic stereotypes that both EY and yidden are “outlaws” that flout international norms. They should forcibly be put on planes at their own expense and sent back to where they came from. Otherwise, we will see more photos of them lying in the roads and pleading for food as yom tov begins tomorrow.
The perversion that going to Uman surpasses the many reasons to refrain is staggering. With full recognition that tefila by a kever of a tzaddik is praiseworthy, it is corrupted thought that this supersedes all else. This is neither chassidus nor Yiddishkeit. However, it is mental illness. To the degree this can be treated, may these sick people have a refuah shelaimoh. To the degree they are consciously choosing this as their religion, they are guilty of some version of avodah zarah. Shame on them. May they be guided to do teshuvah and be healed from this. ושב ורפא לו.
I’m sure there are no porta potties along the route. I cringe when I think of the unsanitary conditions, and wonder what the impression their children have of this experience.
To mister ploni
Where’s your respect
Maybe they should try a different tactic. Start calling the soldiers and policemen “Nazis”, hurl stones and other projectiles, and burn garbage containers. See if that helps. That’s what they do when they don’t get their way in Israel. Maybe it will work in Eastern Europe.
Nebach, to whom will the goyim sell all those drugs to that were prepared in advance of RH? They’ll go Chapter 11. (And everything else that goes on there) No, let’s look at the bright side of things: no Jew will get killed there this year. Not by knife, not by overdose, and not by “slipping on rocks” going to the mikveh.
They did this international Chillul Hashem because they are brain washed. The honestly believe that they will be saved from Gehnom by a dead person by being at a grave in Ukraine. It’s nothing less than idolatry. It looks like a blast in the beginning but this is where it ends up- schlepping kids to anti-Semitic countries with no food or shelter during a global pandemic. Keep your kids far away from this pathetic embarrassing cult.
They are being treated inhumanely.
How is it avodah zarah? Davening by kivrai tzaddikim is at least as old as Yosef Hatzaddik daveing by his mother Rochel’s kever. If you don’t buy that, then at least as old as Kalev ben Yifuneh davening in Chevron by the kivrai Avos. Of course neither of them did this during a virus outbreak, when the law AND HEALTH OFFICIALS are clearly against it. But I don’t see how it’s avodah zarah.
ready now
“They are being treated inhumanely.”
Actually, they are acting inhumanely…