Israel denies entry to 2,500 Ukrainians: Ambassador

Since the beginning of 2023, 5.4% of Ukrainian citizens have been denied entry to Israel, Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Brodsky said.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk said that about 10% of Ukrainian tourists entering Israel are being deported. According to Brodsky, they mostly refuse entry to those who come to work illegally in Israel.

“Since the beginning of the year, 5.4% (about 2.5 thousand people) of the 47 thousand Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Israel in 2023 have been denied entry,” the Israeli diplomat cited in his Telegram channel data from the Department of Population and Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Israel.

“The Ukrainian government will not tolerate the humiliation of its citizens when entering Israel. We will suspend our bilateral visa waiver agreements,” Korniychuk was quoted as saying by The Times of Israel.

Israeli pilgrims are due to leave for the Ukrainian city of Uman next month to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).

According to the embassy of Ukraine, in the first half of 2023, the Israeli authorities deported 2,037 citizens of Ukraine, compared to 2,705 in 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in his traditional address on August 19, called for “guaranteeing the rights of citizens of Ukraine” after receiving a report on their treatment in other countries. In his speech, Zelenskyy did not directly mention Israel.