Ukraine has announced that no visitors will be allowed to enter the country until the end of December. In spite of that, a group of 30 Breslov Chassidim from Israel attempted to fly to Ukraine via a connecting flight in France. According to a report in BChadrei Charedim, the group was detained in France for two days at the request of the Ukrainian government before dressing up as regular tourists and being allowed to finish their flight to Ukraine.
Once the plane landed in Ukraine, any person who was identified as being Jewish or Israeli, based on their passport photos, was held on the plane for a number of hours and not allowed to disembark. Ukrainian soldiers were dispatched to the plane and reports state that they physically assaulted the Chassidim being kept there, including causing physical harm to minors. The passengers attempted to film the incident but their phones were confiscated.
One passenger sent a message prior to his phone being confiscated in which he said: “They are hitting us, adults and children, alike. We are scared for our lives. Please help us.
A number of the Chassidim were seriously hurt in the altercation with the soldiers. A passenger reported that two people were arrested. As of the time of the writing of this article, all connection with the group has been lost.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
people who break laws should expect repercussions; maybe this will raise their appreciation for the more civilized beatings they get from the Israeli police.
Multiple choice question:
We need Moshiach to take us to
a. Uman
b. Ukraine
c. Ukiddin
d. Cleveland
e. Eretz Yisrael.
That’s what happens to wiseguys.
If they weren’t my brothers, I would say they deserve it. How stupid con you be? In the best of times – when we fill their coffers – they hate us and make plenty of trouble for us. NOW? And they said over and over “don’t come”? Why force the issue? The only zchus I can dan on them is that they mentally incompetent. WOW!
Jews are supposed to obey the law and respect authority.
If a small group of some fringe people do not listen to our holy Rabbis who warned against such actions, do not follow instructions, and do not act as religious Jews should, they expose themselves to certain unpleasant consequences.
May Hashem help us.
These unfortunate Chassidim were stranded in Paris, erev shabbos, moments before Shkiah and were hosted by Chabad of the Airport, and Chabad of Seresnes, who provided them with kosher food and meals throughout Shabbos. Following Shabbos, they boarded the plane to Ukraine to continue the journey and landed in the airport in Odessa, where the incident mentioned in the article occurred.
Ukraine has announced that no visitors will be allowed to enter the country until the end of December Israel has done the same to all visitors being banned from Israel, [& so has USA until December 31st] so why shouldn’t Ukraine be entitled to do same thing?
It is beyond terrible that these brutes are harming our brethren, but why oh why would you go and put yourself at their mercy when they told you they don’t want you?!
While I would join any effort to help these brothers and sisters of ours, they would owe us all an apology for getting themselves/us into this mess in the first place! Hashem Yeracheim.
idiots! why go where you are not welcome and even illegal!? brainless wonders…..
Question: What’s our government doing about this?! Thirty of our fellow citizens (including children) are held incognito, starved, and denied the most basic necessities (according to radio reports last night). Surely a plane has been sent to rescue them and return them to Israel!
Answer: No. The only plane our government cares about is The Historic Flight — an El Al load of bureaucrats and favored reporters that will cross Saudi airspace to visit our dear new friends in the United Arab Emirates. In fact, the UAE was even re-designated this morning as a “green country” so no one will be quarantined upon their return
Is that called mesirus nefesh taking young children and helpless teenagers to a country that had already declared in advance that they would not let them in? Sounds more like a total lack of responsibility of whoever sent them.
Klal Yisrael always had leaders and those leaders were always alive. Believing that the only true Tzadik is dead but he can still be your Rebbe and you must be with him for Rosh Hashana is not covered by Elu V’Elu. The Tzaddikim of the past saw the dangers of this belief and strongly warned us to stay away. Their sefarim were banned in both Chasidisha and Litvisha yeshivas.
In the 60’s a musician, his friend from Lubavitch who nebach went off the derech, and some non-religious Judaic studies professors started to make this popular. Spirituality without a leader was an easy sell. We turned a blind eye and thought that at least they are frum and no big deal. It was a mistake. This unfolding Chilul Hashem is just further proof.
How embarrassing that people who look like us are being “moser nefesh” to spend Rosh Hashana in a cemetery to be “with their Rebbe” in an anti-Semitic country who have told them not to come because of a life threatening pandemic. They actually except us to defend them because they are doing an important “Mitzvah.” Our only hope is to declare this group and their beliefs to be not part of the Jewish people.
who sold them the tickets?
while they are idiots and completely at fault and deserve to being detained, there should be an outcry if it is true they are being “beaten” and not allowed to contact anyone.
I don’t understand.
If no foreigners are allowed in, then how were they allowed to even get onto the flight?
Furthermore, why do they check if they are Jewish or Israeli, if all foreigners are not allowed in?
If it is only Jews that are not being allowed in, what is their rational for that, other than blatant anti semitism?