Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been under pressure to arrange for thousands of Israeli pilgrims to visit Uman, Ukraine, next week amid tensions with Kyiv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone Thursday evening with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a statement put out by the Israeli premier's office, the first call in nine months between the two.
According to the statement from Netanyahu’s office, the two leaders discussed several topics, including the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Israel, continuing Israeli aid to Ukraine and the deployment of civil defense systems in Ukraine.
''I spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. We talked about continuing Israeli aid to Ukraine, including to refugees from Ukraine staying in Israel, and about continuing to promote aid and the development and promotion of civil defense systems. I raised the need to ensure as much as possible the arrival of worshipers to Uman this year in order to ensure freedom of worship,'' said the statement.
Netanyahu also raised the issue of Israeli pilgrims traveling to the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year that celebrated Sept. 16-17.
An unnamed Ukrainian official was quoted by Ynet earlier in the day as saying that Netanyahu was the one pushing for a call, citing pressure by Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties who want him to facilitate the visit of thousands of pilgrims to Uman. For more than a century, Jewish pilgrims have been traveling to Uman to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslow.
Israel’s N12 news outlet reported on Wednesday that Mossad chief David Barnea had spoken by phone with Zelenskyy earlier in the week to help prepare for the pilgrims' arrival.
Tense relations with Kyiv
Relations between Israel and Ukraine have been tense for several months. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Israel made clear that to avoid antagonizing the Russians, it would not be supplying Ukrainian military with weapons. Also, the Russian military controls most of Syria's airspace, and Israel remains adamant about preserving its long-established channels of communication that enable its air force jets to operate freely there.
In the past year, Israel has supplied Ukraine with ample humanitarian assistance, as well as defensive equipment, such as protective vests and helmets for medical teams, and is developing a civil alarm system to warn Ukrainians of incoming rocket or missile fire. Still, the Ukrainian government has slammed Israel for refusing to assist it with weaponry.
Source: Al Monitor