Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Motzei Shabbos instructed Israel’s designated ambassador to Poland, Dr. Yacov Livne, to travel to Warsaw to assist Israelis fleeing from Ukraine into Poland.

The move comes half a year after a diplomatic crisis ensued between the two countries, with both recalling their ambassadors, due to Poland’s decision to enact legislation that severely limits restitution of property stolen from Jews during the Holocaust.

“Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, the Israeli Embassy in Warsaw, headed by charge d’affaires Tal Ya’alon, has worked productively, in cooperation with the Polish authorities, to assist Israelis leaving Ukraine, and we would like to express our gratitude to the Polish authorities for this assistance,” Lapid stated.

Israel returned Ya’alon to Warsaw in November. Poland has not yet appointed a new ambassador to Israel.

Over the weekend, Lapid ordered the Israeli embassy staff in Lviv in western Ukraine to move to accommodations on the Polish side of the border, only days after the embassy staff relocated to Lviv from Kyiv.

Moving to Poland. 🇺🇦, we’ll be back pic.twitter.com/d0iDvTsZpx

— Michael Brodsky (@michael_brodsk) February 26, 2022

“The embassy staff will cross the border into Ukraine every day in order to continue their diplomatic work and assist Israeli citizens to leave Ukraine,” a statement issued from Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian attacks and Ukrainian counterattacks are placing civilians in Ukraine in danger and severely limiting their ability to reach border crossings.

On Friday, the embassy staff in Lviv assisted dozens of Israelis to cross into Poland.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)