Zelenskyy Warns Israel Over Visa Restrictions for Ukrainians

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Israel on Friday about potential visa restrictions for Ukrainians. Zelenskyy’s remarks followed reports of Ukrainians facing challenges when seeking entry into Israel. Elaborating on this, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, indicated that the Ukrainian government might reconsider its bilateral visa waiver agreements with Israel. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene directly to address this visa issue. Korniychuk complained that Ukrainians “go out of our way to host tens of thousands of Israelis in Uman,” the site of an annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the grave of Hasidic Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, “with a high-security risk, and with a huge logistical effort, when on the other hand – the Israeli government abuses our citizens who come to Israel.” However, Israeli Interior and Health Minister Moshe Arbel refuted these claims, asserting that Israel welcomes tourists from various nations, including Ukraine. He also highlighted Israel’s ongoing partnership with Ukraine, particularly in health sector collaborations.