A new aid package for Ukrainian Jews - NIS 20 million - was announced on Thursday by both the Diaspora and Finance Ministries and an Australian philanthropic foundation.
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman gave NIS 5 million to the cause and Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai gave NIS 10 million. An Australian philanthropic foundation that supports causes in the Jewish world match NIS 5 million, bringing the total to NIS 20 million.
A representative of the foundation, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the organization was impressed by Israel's swift actions and that it wanted to be a part of this effort.
“We are assisting Ukraine during this difficult time for the country,” said Minister of Diaspora Dr. Affairs Nachman Shai.
The aid, said Shai, "will enable the different Jewish communities in Ukraine to cope with the severe difficulties that have been created in recent days.
“This assistance will be designated for buying food, medicine, and emergency equipment for security purposes and transportation.”
The Russian invasion in Ukraine had caused a massive wave of aliyah to Israel, as Ukrainian Jews continue to flee Russian forces.
According to officials in the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, 10,000 Ukrainian Jews have shown interest in acquiring citizenship, and 3,700 have already begun the process since last Thursday. The current estimation is that 10,000 immigrants could arrive within a few weeks, in contrast to 2021, when throughout the year 13,006 Ukrainian Jews immigrated.
As the war progresses to its eighth day, refugees fled to every possible border of the country, seeking shelter in Poland, Romania, Moldova and more. According to a recent UN report, the number of Ukrainian refugees has climbed to one million.