Israel Asks Zelenskyy To Allow Hasidic Jewish Pilgrims Struck On Border To Enter Ukraine

Israel Asks Zelenskyy to Allow Hasidic Jewish Pilgrims Struck on Border to Enter Ukraine

Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who is also the head of Sephardic Orthodox Shas Party, has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow Hasidic Jews to enter Ukraine following reports that hundreds of them were struck on the Belrusian-Ukrainian border over the coronvairus-related restrictions

KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2020) Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who is also the head of Sephardic Orthodox Shas Party, has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow Hasidic Jews to enter Ukraine following reports that hundreds of them were struck on the Belrusian-Ukrainian border over the coronvairus-related restrictions.

On Monday, Hasidic Jews began arriving at the border with Ukraine despite the entry ban. Earlier in the day, the press service of the State Border Committee of Belarus told Sputnik that more than 700 Hasidic pilgrims had gathered between the Belarusian and Ukrainian checkpoints, hoping to get to Ukraine. Ukraine's border service reported that more than 3,000 pilgrims are expected to arrive at the border.

"I am asking you on emergency humanitarian grounds to allow entry for those who are on the Belarusian border only for the period of the Jewish New Year, taking into account restrictions and in full compliance with all sanitary standards of the COVID-19 period, which your country considers necessary," Deri said in a letter to Zelenskyy, as quoted by RBC-Ukraine.

Every Jewish New Year, thousands of Hasidic Jews go to the central Ukrainian town of Uman on a pilgrimage mission to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who revived the Hasidic movement and died in 1810. This year, the Jewish New Year is celebrated from September 18-20.

Uman Mayor Alexander Tsebriy has previously said that the arrival of Hasidic pilgrims this year in the traditional format was impossible due to COVID-19.