Zelenskyy repeats threat to cancel Jewish Uman pilgrimage after Israel deports Ukrainians

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday demanded that the “rights of Ukrainian citizens must be guaranteed,” in response to a report detailing the treatment of Ukrainian nationals in foreign countries.

On Sunday, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk clarified that Zelenskyy's comments were aimed at Israel.

“The Ukrainian government will not tolerate the humiliation of its citizens upon entering Israel. We will suspend our bilateral visa waiver deals, according to article seven of the intergovernmental agreement.”

“It is unthinkable that we would have to go out of our way to host tens of thousands of Israelis in Uman, with a high-security risk and a huge logistical effort, while the Israeli government abuses our citizens who come to Israel within the framework of a treaty between the two countries,” Korniychuk added.

A week ago, ALL ISRAEL NEWS reported that Ukraine was considering closing its border to thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis who visit Uman every year. The pilgrims come to Uman to celebrate the Jewish New Year at the burial site of the Chassidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who died in 1810.